ABSTRACT

Nasr's traditional sciences as a nostalgic appeal to tradition with no real consequences for the current problems surrounding modern science. Nasr defines scientia sacra as "that sacred knowledge which lies at the heart of every revelation and is the center of that circle which encompasses and defines tradition". Five main traits of modern science come to the fore in Nasr's critical analysis. The first is the secular view of the universe. The second feature is the mechanization of the world-picture upon the model of machines and clocks. The third aspect of modern science is rationalism and empiricism. The fourth trait is the legacy of Cartesian dualism that presupposes a complete separation between res cogitans and res extensa. The last important aspect of modern science is in a sense a culmination of the foregoing features, and it is the exploitation of nature as a source of power and domination—a fact not unknown to modern capitalist society.