Islamic perspectives on the genome and the human person: why the soul matters

Islamic perspectives on the genome and the human person: why the soul matters

Ahmed, Arzoo
Suleman, Mehrunisha

English

20190000

The unlocking of the cellular nucleus and the discovery of DNA with the identification of genes that code for particular phenotypes have profoundly influenced our understanding of the human person through a re-evaluation of inheritance, genetic and species relatedness and distinctiveness. A constellation of Islamic philosophical, theological and spiritual narratives have contributed to the definitions for and understanding of the human person. Central to such accounts is the nature and role of the soul in defining and determining the human person. Yet very few scholarly contributions consider the relationship between the human genome, its association with the human person, and how these relate to Islamic considerations of the soul. The aim of this paper is to redress this imbalance. This study seeks to extend the list of textual sources that contribute to ethical considerations of the genome question. We will show that these issues must, of necessity, include discussions of the human person and interrogate the interplay between them.

2.1

2.1; 1.2; 15.1

human genome [pri]; Islamic ethics [pri]

human body; human characteristics; gene therapy; genetic identity; genotype; personhood; theology

aql; nafs; qalb; ruh; soul

Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

c

QH438.7 .I85 2019

57 refs.

9789004392137 (e-book)

In: Ghaly, Mohammed, ed. Islamic Ethics and the Genome Question. Leiden: Brill Open, 2019: 139-168