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☰ Contents 58 of 160

Westernization and Human Welfare · Maryam Jameelah

'7

In this chapter (8 sections)

sociology by Herbert Spencer and previous to these, to history by Hegel.

The dogma of evolutionary progress, which justifies the universal supremacy of Western civilization, rests on the following assumptions:- I. the

uncriti~al acceptance of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution ·that mankind emerged from

very lowly animal origins, that when life first

appeared on earth, it was of the simplest and lowliest types which . over the’ -ages evolved into

more and more complex and highly developed

creatures at the apex of which stands the human

race.

  1. that the doctrine of evolu~onary progress is equally valid when applied to human. society which has emerged from the most primitive level· to ever more and more complex and highly developed-

cultures at the apex of which stands modem

We!ltern civilization.

  1. therefore, to defy modern Western civilization is

tantamount to defying the Jaw of evolution-to rebel -against Progress, against the very law of

nature itself. The progress from the primitive to ever more highly-advanced .civilizations is not

only desirable but an inevitable and immutable

law of llatUre.

Since every change is an improvement along the road to. progress, the newe$t

is always the best and any attempt to defend 9lder or previously established standards means retrogression to a more backward existence. 4.

Modern scientific knowledge has rendered all re-

ligions based on absolute transcendental values and

Cite this chapter

Jameelah, Maryam. “'7.” In Westernization and Human Welfare (1976). Scan: archive.org, https://archive.org/download/al-islam-maryam-jameelah/English_WESTERNIZATION_AND_HUMAN_WELFARE.pdf. Online text: Islamic Internet Archives, https://islamicarchives.org/works/mj-westernization-and-human-welfare/7/

© Mohammad Yusuf Khan (publisher); free scan at Internet Archive