New Books in Critical Theory Amir Saemi, "Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Apr 4, 2026
Amir Saemi, a philosopher and author of Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond (Oxford UP, 2024), discusses scripture, morality, and the so-called New Problem of Evil. He contrasts scripture-first and ethics-first approaches. He traces medieval Islamic thinkers, explains the Moses Principle, and considers how to reconcile modern moral sensibilities with scriptural commands.
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Don't Let Hidden Facts Silence Moral Critique
- Recognize the limits of the 'argument from morally hidden facts' that claims humans can't judge divine directives due to limited epistemic access.
- Saemi recommends treating that conservative claim as a challenge to be engaged philosophically, not as a conversation-ender.
The New Problem Of Evil In Scripture
- The New Problem of Evil names a philosophical tension between scripture's divinity, seemingly divinely prescribed moral harms, and our reliable modern moral judgments.
- Amir Saemi frames wife-beating, cutting hands, and slavery as examples showing this three-way clash that Muslims must confront rather than ignore.
Scripture Always Wins On Moral Particulars
- Historic Islamic schools labeled Asharites, Mu'tazilites, and philosophers all tended to be Scripture First on moral particulars, deferring to prophetic directives in conflicts with reason.
- Saemi argues even reason-friendly groups like the Mu'tazilites accepted deference to scripture for particular moral rules using the physician analogy.
