Universität Wien

010162 SE M3: Islamic ethics (2025W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 1 - Theologien und Religionswiss.
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
We 17.12. 18:30-20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 01.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 08.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 22.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 29.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 05.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 12.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 19.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 26.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 03.12. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 10.12. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 07.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 14.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 21.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG
  • Wednesday 28.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Seminarraum i2/3 (islam) Schenkenstraße 8-10 EG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

oday, Muslims are confronted with a variety of ethical questions that have not been addressed, or only marginally so, in classical sources and earlier traditions. These questions arise particularly in response to the challenges of modern societies, new technologies, and changing living conditions. For Muslims in Europe, these challenges are especially pressing, as they often emerge within the tension between religious convictions, pluralistic societies, and global developments.
This seminar provides a systematic introduction to current ethical discourses within Islamic theology. Its aim is to familiarize students with key problem areas, encourage them to reflect critically on differing positions, and highlight the relevance of Islamic ethics for contemporary life.

Thematic Overview
Theological and Philosophical Ethics: Core concepts, methods, and classical traditions of thought.
Foundations of Islamic Ethics: Sources, normative principles, and hermeneutical approaches.
Animal Ethics in Islam: Treatment of animals, halal slaughter, and debates on animal welfare.
Gender Justice: Equality, family ethics, and debates on gender roles.
Ethics and the Internet: Media usage, social networks, and digital responsibility.
Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and risks from an Islamic ethical perspective.
Sexual Ethics: Between traditional norms and modern challenges.
Through readings, discussions, and reflections, students will be encouraged to develop their own positions and to critically engage with ethical questions in the context of Islamic theology and pluralistic societies.

Assessment and permitted materials

active participation/own contribution to the seminar
Preparation of weekly text reflections

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

active participation/own contribution to the seminar: 40%
Preparation of weekly text reflections: 60%

Examination topics

The texts we discuss in the seminar.

Reading list

Abou El Fadl, K. (2017). Qurʾanic Ethics and Islamic Law, Journal of Islamic Ethics, 1(1-2), 7-28. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340002
Abu-Zayd, N. (2013). The Status of Women Between the Qurʾan and Fiqh. In Z. Mir-Hosseini, K. Vogt, L. Larsen & C. Moe (Eds.). Gender and Equality in Muslim Family Law: Justice and Ethics in the Islamic Legal Tradition (pp. 153–168). London: I.B.Tauris. Retrieved July 21, 2023, from http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9780755609277.ch-007
Atighetchi, D. (2009). Islamic bioethics: problems and perspectives. Dordrecht: Springer.
Eickelman, D. F. (2009). Islam and Ethical Pluralism. In The Many and the One (pp. 161-179). Princeton: Princeton University Press. doi: 10.1515/9781400825592.161
El Maaroufi (أسماء المعروفي), A.El Maaroufi, A. (2022). Towards an Ethic of Being-With. An Islamic-Phenomenological Perspective on Human-Animal Encounters, Journal of Islamic Ethics, 6(1), 81-93. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340078
Kızılkaya (نجم الدين كز يلكايا), N.Kızılkaya, N. (2021). They Cannot Be Left to the Brutality of a Cruel Group: An Ottoman Scholar’s Treatise on Dogs, Journal of Islamic Ethics, 6(1), 122-140. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340075
Klein, C. (2023). Maschinenlernen und Menschenhandeln. Zeitschrift Für Pädagogik Und Theologie, 75(2), 152–162. doi: 10.1515/zpt-2023-2004
Leins, S. (2010). Zur Ethik des islamischen Finanzmarktes. Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik, 11(1), 66.
Eich, Thoma, Moderne Medizin und islamische Ethik, Freiburg i.B. 2009
Hourani George F. , Reason and Tradition in Islamic Ethics , Cambridge 1985.
Lahbabi, Mohamed Aziz, Der Mensch: Zeuge Gottes, Freiburg i.B. 2009
Murphy Mark C. , God & Moral Law: On the Theistic Explanation of Morality . Oxford. 2011
Rahman Fazlur , Major Themes of the Qurʾan . Chicago 2009.
Sachedina Abdulaziz Abdulhussein , The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism, Oxford 2001.
Standop, Jutta, Werteerziehung. Weinheim-Basel: 2005.
Vishanoff, David R., ed. Islamic Law and Ethics. International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2020.

Association in the course directory

M3

Last modified: Mo 29.09.2025 14:05