New researches in Islamic humanities studies

New researches in Islamic humanities studies

The Relation of Logic to Language in Abu Hamid Muḥammad al-Ghazalis Philosophical Views on Language

Document Type : Original Article

10.22034/api.2024.2021227.1010
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between logic and language, along with their constituent elements, from the perspective of Abu Ḥamid al‑Ghazali, particularly in light of the fact that his approaches to linguistic philosophy can be classified into the logical and the metaphysical domains.
Method: The research method is based on the examination and content analysis of al‑Ghazalis treatises, as well as books and articles related to his philosophy. The data have been extracted from his primary texts and relevant secondary studies.
Results: The findings indicate that al‑Ghazali, similar to philosophers such as al‑Farabi, Ibn Sina, and later thinkers like Mulla Sadra, discusses various types of existence in general and linguistic modes of existence in particular, including verbal and scriptural existence. He also addresses the relativity of empirical propositions and the conventional nature of the assignment of words and their signification within the framework of definition and syllogism.
Conclusions: Based on his corpus in the field of the philosophy of language, three types of language can be identified: analogical language, language without modality, and the language of no‑language. Detailed discussion of these types is provided within the article. Moreover, the analysis of al‑Ghazālī’s views shows that he seeks to establish a clear boundary between language and reality. His perspective also offers a framework for understanding the expressibility of religious and philosophical concepts.
Keywords
Abu Hamid Muhammad al‑Ghazali
Logic
Language
Philosophy of Language
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New researches in Islamic humanities studies
Volume 4, Issue 8 - Serial Number 8
December 2025
Pages 1-17