The First Word

The title of the blog is a concatenation of the terms Islamicate and Homo Faber. An explanation of these two terms are in order first. The term Islamicate originated with Marshall Hodgson the following quote from Hodgson, via the Islamicate blog, pretty much explains what it means.

The term Islamicate comes from , who defined it as something that “…would refer not directly to the religion, Islam, itself, but to the social and cultural complex historically associated with Islam and the Muslims, both among Muslims themselves and even when found among non-Muslims.”(Venture of Islam, v. 1, p. 59)

As for why Islamicate and why not Islamic, Muslim or even Homo Islamicus, I have deliberately avoided using the term Homo Islamicus to broaden the scope of discussion to broaden the focus. The idea is critique the way things are in the Islamic world and beyond and not just on why the way things should be. In Latin Homo Faber means ‘Man the maker.’ Especially in Philosophy of Technology, human beings are conceptualized as tool making creatures. This is the other important theme in this blog – the relationship of technology with humankind. Taken together, these two themes mean that we will be discussing the impact of technology on Islamicate culture, it appropriation by the masses, the reaction of the ulema (sometimes reactionary actions), Islamic and Islamicate thinking on technology etc. In short, we hope to have an intelligent discussion on Technology and all things. Let the blogging begin.

Update: Fixed the typos.