Al-Ghazali, the medieval villain who destroyed Islamic science and inspired today’s Islamic extremism

Actually, I regard the idea expressed in the title of this blog entry as historically false.  Ludicrously so, in fact.  (Yet another reason, as if I needed one, not to think very highly of such folks as Richard Dawkins and Neil deGrasse Tyson.)

And I thank Eric Ringger for bringing this article, from the wonderful Economist, to my notice as I travel:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2015/04/islam-philosophy-and-west

I’ve taught classes on al-Ghazali several times, and I admire him (and his mind) very, very much.  Incidentally, he spent many hours, at one point in his life, praying, meditating, and reflecting in the chamber beneath the Dome of the Rock, which is within walking distance of where I’m sitting right now.

Posted from Jerusalem, Israel