Abstract—Significant evidence suggests that the roots of
Western humanistic education can be traced to medieval
Islamic scholasticism. This study is based on careful analysis of
historical documents which reveals the connection between
classical Islamic scholarship and the foundations of Western
humanistic education, the impact of which is evident to this
day. Classical Islamic influence on medieval European
education focuses on the origins of Italian Renaissance
humanism in terms of the
studia humanitatis and the
ars
dictaminis, and the roots of scholasticism as seen through the
contributions of Abu Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn
Rushd, known to the Western world as Averroes. During the
medieval period, our two great civilizations worked together in
creating and maintaining academic learning for the mutual
betterment of mankind. A discussion of the Islamic influence
on Western humanistic education provides a common ground
for creating a dialogue of mutual respect and for alleviating
present ideological tensions between the Middle East and the
West.
Index Terms—Comparative education, history of education,
Islamic studies, medieval studies, middle ages, Middle East.
Rena D. Dossett is with the Ball State University, USA (e-mail:
rddossett@bsu.edu).
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Cite: Rena D. Dossett, " The Historical Influence of Classical Islam on Western
Humanistic Education," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 88-91, 2014.