ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses Ghazālī’s methodological scepticism and quest to establish the certainty of our epistemic foundations. After evaluating the metaphysical dimensions to knowledge and the hierarchy of certainty in Ghazālī’s epistemology, it examines his sceptical engagement with the sources of knowing, such as taqlīd (imitation), sense perception, and axiomatic truths. Furthermore, it shows, in contradistinction to classical scepticism, the scepticism of Ghazālī was not a denial of the possibility of knowledge about the nature of reality, nor was it a denial of Muslim doctrine, but rather a methodological attempt to establish the foundations of knowledge. Ghazālī’s scepticism was not for its own sake, but a process of critical human inquiry. This chapter pursues a dual approach; it primarily focuses on his methodological scepticism as a means of attaining certainty but also recognises the place of a psychological scepticism. To understand his foundationalism and deliverance from a sceptical frame of mind, the concepts of “Divine Light” and fiṭra (primordial disposition) are discussed. The chapter shows that the Divine Light is the key to both axiomatic truths and the highest level of certitude attained through spiritual unveilings (mukāshafa).
