Amir Saemi, "Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil" (Oxford UP, 2024)

Apr 4, 2026

Amir Saemi, philosopher of Islamic thought focused on ethics and revelation, discusses the “New Problem of Evil” — tensions between troubling scriptural commands and moral judgment. He surveys medieval thinkers, critiques scripture-first fixes, and proposes an ethics-first approach. Topics include thick vs thin moral concepts, the Moses Principle, gendered morality, and how to reconcile ancient law with moral progress.

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ANECDOTE

How Debates In Iran Led Saemi To Philosophy

Amir Saemi recounts his path from Iran and engineering to philosophy driven by debates about modernity and religion during college.
After a PhD in France he switched to philosophy at UC Santa Barbara to address the argument from morally hidden facts.

INSIGHT

The New Problem Of Evil Defined

Amir Saemi defines the New Problem of Evil as a tension between the divinity of scripture, seemingly divinely prescribed harmful commands, and confidence in our independent moral judgments.
He frames the issue philosophically so Muslims must choose between denying scripture's divinity, reinterpreting texts, or defending moral intuition against scripture-first positions.

ADVICE

Reject Thin Reinterpretations That Don't Protect Equality

Beware weak reinterpretations that claim controversial verses only apply in extreme cases since they often remain morally insufficient for egalitarians.
Saemi critiques modernist re-readings (e.g., on wife beating) for failing to make texts fully consistent with contemporary equality norms.

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Amir Saemi’s exciting book Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil (Oxford UP, 2024) is a fascinating and deeply thought-provoking study that challenges how we think about scripture, morality, and divine authority. Saemi tackles what he calls the “New Problem of Evil,” a divinely prescribed problem of evil, which is the tension between the commands found in sacred texts, our own moral judgments, and the belief in a morally perfect God. Saemi demonstrates the limits of scripture-first approaches, which is to say that scripture is given precedence over our independent moral judgments in cases where the two conflict. He explores ethics-first solutions that allow the believer to take moral reasoning seriously, while also showing that scripture’s injunctions can be understood as legal or social mandates. By tracing the arguments of Ashʿarites, Mu’tazilites, and other medieval Islamic thinkers, and developing alternative solutions, Saemi offers a methodical and historically grounded framework for reconciling moral judgment with scriptural authority.

In our conversation, Amir and I explore how Islamic philosophers like al-Ghazālī, al-Rāzī, al-Fārābi, and others navigated the relationship between reason and revelation, and how we might approach morally troubling passages in scripture today, including through an ethics-first approach. We also discuss thick and thin moral concepts, the Moses Principle, and what it means to reconcile modern moral sensibilities with ancient texts. Amir shares insights on gendered morality, the ethical significance of the Abraham story, and the broader implications of his work for progressive Muslims and theists alike.

This book is essential reading for readers interested in the ethics of interpretation, the challenges faced by contemporary religious communities when re-interpreting historical texts, theists wrestling with moral dilemmas, and anyone interested in the intersection of philosophy, religion, and ethics.

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