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Education:

  • Ph.D. (Harvard), Islamic Philosophy (1978).
  • B.A. (M. A. Oxon), Politics, Philosophy,Economics (1971).

Position:

Professor of Philosophy (1995-Present).

Director: MA Program, Philosophy in Islam, 2014-present.

Experience:

  • President, Al-Quds University 1995-2014.
  • Professor of Philosophy, Birzeit University 1987-1992.
  • Chairman, Philosophy and Cultural Studies Program 1982-1984.
  • Developer and Coordinator: MA program, "Philosophy in Islam" 2014.
  • Developer: Logical and Critical Thinking Course, Birzeit University 1979, Al-Quds University 1996.
  • Chairman and Steering Committee Member: Palestine Negotiating Team 1991-1994.

Present Research Interests:

  • Islamic Intellectual Thought: Past and Present.
  • Moral and Political Thought –especially related to the Palestinian issue.

Publications:

Books:

Avicenna's Al-Shifā',Routledge,Mar 2018.

  • The Story of Reason in Islam (2016), Stanford University Press.
  • UneAllumetteVaut-elleToute Notre Philosophie?, Flammarion, Jan 2012.
  • What's A Palestinian State Worth? Harvard University Press, 2011.
  • Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life: Autobiographical Reflections. (With Anthony David). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
  • No Trumpets No Drums: A Two-State Settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. (With Mark Heller). New York: Hill and Wang, 1991. Paperback 3rd.edition 1993.
  • Palestine: A State is Born(Selections of Newspapers/Magazines articles between 1987-1990 ) Palestine Information Office :The Hague, 1990.
  • Al-HurriyyahBaynAlhaddWa'lMutlaq(Absolute and Restricted Freedom). London:
    Al-Saqi, 1995.
  • Masharif al-Mantiq (Introductory Symbolic Logic). Jerusalem: Arab Studies Society, 1982.

Co-edited:

  • Jerusalem: Points of Friction and Beyond. ed. Sari Nusseibeh and Moshe Maoz.
    Kulwer Law International, 2000.

Chapters:

  • "To Justice with Love", in Philosophy Without Borders, ed. Ralph Weber and Arindam,Chakrabarti. Bloomsbury Academic. 2015.
  • "On Love", in Human Alert. ed.Hent de Vries. Colombia University Press. 2015
  • "The Possible Worlds of Avicenna and Liebniz", in The Misty Land of Ideas and The Light of Dialogue:An Anthology of Comparative Philosophy: Western & Islamic, ed. Ali Paya, ICAS Press, Dec 2014.
  • "Philosophical Reflections on the Israeli-Palestinian War :
    1) Of Hedgehogs, Foxes and Swans
    2) Of Folly, Faith & Miracle", The Tanner Lectures on Human Values, Vol. 29, ed. Suzan Young, Univ.Of Utah Press, 2010.
  • " Avicenna Providence and God's Knowledge of Particulars ", in Avicenna and his legacy: A Golden Age of Science And Philosophy, ed. Y.T Langermann (Brepols, Belgium) 2009. pp 275-288.
  • "Mohammad is the Last Messenger: Introducing Islam's Age of Reason!" in
    Vernunft und Politikim 21. Jahrhundert. (Hoffmann und Campe),2009.
  • "Violenza: Razionalita e Ragionevolezza" in: DioSalvi La Ragionei with Benedetto XVI, et al. Cantagalli Publisher , 2007.
  • "Military Power: The Elusive Answer" , in N. S. Sisodia & Ashok K. Behuria (eds)
    West Asia in TurmoilInstitute Implications for Global Security. New Delhi: Academic Foundation, 2006.
  • “Is God part of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict of Rights, and should He remain so?” in Barbra Barnett (ed.) Does Human Rights Need God? Chicago: Eerdman, 2005.
  • “Personal and National Identity: A Tale of Two Wills.” in Tomas Kapitan (ed.)
    Philosophical Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict , N.Y: Armonk and London: Sharpe, 1997 .
  • “Al-Hizb al-SiyasiWa'ldimoqratiyyah” (Political Parties and Democracy).
    in Azmat al-hizb al-Siyasi al-Falastini. Ramallah: Muwatin, 1996 .
  • “Epistemology” in Oliver Leaman (ed.) The Routledge History of Islamic Philosophy London: Routledge , Kegan and Paul, 1995 .
  • “Can Wars be Just?” with Jean Elshtaine and others , But Was It Just? Reflections on the Morality of the Gulf War .New York: Doubleday, 1992 .
  • “The Palestinian Case” in Giliomee and JannieGagiano (eds.) The Elusive Search for Peace : South Africa, Israel, Northern Ireland. London: OUP, 1990.
  • "Selections (including translations) from the Holy Qur'an". In Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 15th ed, 1984.

Articles:

  • "Islam: Philosophy and Lawmaking", in Confluence: Online Journal of World Philosophies, spring, 2016.
  • "Palestine: History Runs Faster than Ideas" ,Politiqueétrangèr, automne2013.
  • "Cultural Clash And The Moralist Quest", Philosophy, Culture, & Traditions, Volume 7 2011.
  • " Islam, Islamic Philosophy and Peace ", Three voices Symposium - Prospettivefilosofichesulla pace (Proceedings by the Philosophy Department ) University of Torino, Italy - 2008.
  • “A Formula for Narrative Selection: A Commentary on Writing the Arab-Israeli Conflict”, Perspectives on Politics (2005) Vol 3/No1.
  • “The Limit Of Reason (or Why Dignity is not Negotiable)”, APA Newsleters(2004)Vo.04, Number1.
  • “Singularidad y pluralidad en la identidad: el caso del prisioneropalestino" in
    La Pluralidad y susatributos, FundacionDuques de Soria (2002).
  • “Islam's Jerusalem”,Jerusalem: Religious Aspects. Jerusalem: Passia, (1995).
  • “Al-Aql Al Qudsi: Avicenna's Subjective Theory of Knowledge” StudiaIslamica(1989), 39-54.
  • “The Intifada: A Personal Perspective.” in American Arab Affairs, winter (1988-1989).
  • “On Subatomic Particles and Scientific Posits” with Basheer El-Issa.Birzeit Journal of Chemistry (1981).
  • “ Avicenna : Medicine and Scepticism” Koroth (1981) Vol.8, No 1- 2 : 9-20.

Reviews:

  • "AvnerBaz, When Words Are Called For: A Defense of Ordinary Language Philosophy", Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Jun 2012.
  • "F. Zimmermann's Al-Farabi's Commentary and Short Treatise on Aristotle's De Interpretatione" , History and Philosophy of Logic 13 ,1992: 115-132 .
  • "S. A. Nasr 's Islamic Life and Thought". TLS , 1982: 267.
  • "Quelques figures et themes de la PhilosophieIslamique". inAsian and African Studies 14 , 1980: 207- 209.

Miscellaneous:

  • Over a hundred articles and interviews in local Arabic and foreign newspaper and other media in different languages and magazines, spread over 30 years. Also, many reviews and articles have appeared commenting on books and articles published. See here.

Invited lectures / Keynotes/Presentations / Conferences

1."Negotiating: The Cognitive Argument " (Talk delivered at the Dialogue with the other, conference, organized by the goethe institute, Berlin 24 th Feb, 2015).

2." The Withering Away of Zionism", Talk To ‘Le Circle', London 19 th June 2014.

  1. "Whither the Arab World?", presented at BahcesehirUniversity (July 1st), during the launching of the International Summer University for Intellectual Leadership program, organized by the Aladdin Project, 2013.
  2. " Why Philosophy Matters.... ", A talk given to Francis Holland High School Students, Chelsea, London, 18 th March 2013.
  3. "Culture and Conflict-Resolution", delivered at the European Parliament in a session on culture and conflict resolution, Feb 2013.
  4. "Giving Voice to Conscience", The Koningsburger Lecture at the University of Utrecht,
    Dec 2012.
  5. "Maimonides: Seeking the Truth and Speaking It ", a one-day study-workshop on Maimonides at the Jewish museum, Berlin, Nov 2012.
  6. "Education: Capabilities and Constraints", Presented at the Second World Conference on the Right to, and the Right in Education, Brussels Nov. 8-10 2012.
  7. " On Love ", delivered at the FetzaInstitute Council of the Humanities meeting, Kalamazoo, 4th June 2012.
  8. " Justice: Rights and Values ", the Annual Lecture on Religion, Conflict and Peace Studies sponsored by the Arizona State University Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict,
    Apr 13 2012.
  9. "A Response to Five Critics", Reason papers:(Symposium: Sari Nusseibeh'sWhat Is a Palestinian State Worth?),A Journal of Interdisciplinary Normative Studies, Vol. 34, No. 2 October 2012.
  10. " Where Freedom Is ", On the occasion of a seminar on Tagore's The Home And the World organized by the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, Nov 2011.
  11. "On the Israeli Demand for Recognition of a ‘Jewish State' ",Al-Jazeera. Sep 2011.
  12. " Observations on the Arab Awakening and “The Arab Spring”, On the occasion of George Antonius' 120 th Birthday, in the University of Cyprus on the 18th October 2011.
  13. "Is “One” Unique? ", Paper presented on the 22nd September 2011 at the University of Geneve on the occasion of the inauguration of the program in medieval Jewish thought.
  14. "Government: Religious and Democratic " delivered at the Future of the Religious Past Conference, Amsterdam June-2011.
  15. "Paris Lectures", at the Sorbonne (later published in UneAllumettee…).
  16. "On the Occasion of Receiving the Siegfried Unseld Prize", Berlin 28th September-2010.
  17. "Memory and the Politics of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" delivered at the International Conference on History and Memory; held at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla, India, in May- 2010.
  18. "Freedom",delivered in Honor of Professor MenahemYaari, July - 2010,
    The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Jerusalem.
  19. "Capital Punishment Under The Palestinian Authority ".World Congress Against The Death Penalty/ Geneva, February-2010.
  20. " Sheherezade And Hind,Swaraj " Paper presented at the international conference on Hind Swaraj; 17-19, May- 2009, New Delhi.
  21. "Inspiration", remarks made at the Graduation Ceremony of the Anglican International School. Jerusalem on June 25, 2009.
  22. "TheMultatuli-lecture ", delivered in Leuven on the 25th of May, 2009: "Identities in Conflict: Masters and Slaves".
  23. " Fear of the Other: Fear for the Other ": presentation made at "The Fear of the Other" conference organized by the Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (PSUAD) , Abu Dhabi.-March 15, 2009.
  24. "Remarks, in absentia, on Gaza"made on the Occasion of being awarded an honorary doctorate “Doctor HonorisCausa”, by the Academic Councils of the UniversitéCatholique de Louvain (UCL, Louvain-la-Neuve) and KatholiekeUniversiteit Leuven (K.U. Leuven, Leuven) jointly in Belgium. February -2009.
  25. "The Tanner Lectures On Human Values ", Delivered at Harvard University on
    November 5-7, 2008. Later published ( See Above).

2) Of Folly, Faith & Miracles.

  1. "Minds without Borders " – Presentation made at the Fall Leadership Conference of the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA) - Amman on October 26, 2008.
  2. "Palestine: Nation-Building?" – Presentation made at the opening ceremony of the Flemish Centre for International Policy of the Antwerp University, Belgium- May 7, 2008.
  3. "Islam, Islamic Philosophy and Peace", Presentation made at “Three voices Symposium - Prospettivefilosofichesulla pace” organized by the Philosophy Department - University of Torino, Italy - April 15, 2008.
  4. "Gas-less in Gaza", Presentation made at the "Human Rights and Intercultural Dialogue In The Mediterranean" conference organized by the Law Faculty, University of Teramo, Italy- March 27-29, 2008.
  5. "Final Status: Jerusalem and Return ",for James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University ,October -2007.
  6. "Self-Worth And Self-Delusion ", Presentation for a workshop about the "Concept of Human Dignity from the perspective of the history of Religions", at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, December- 2006.
  7. "Palestinians Demand Justice", First International Conference On Ethics and Politics, Crete, May -2006.
  8. "The Indeterminacy of Negotiations and the Archimedean Lever "at Ben-Gurion University, January, 2006.
  9. "Joking as a lethal Weapon" at Freedom and Islam - Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Germany,October 2006.
  10. "Identities in Conflict: Masters and Slaves" at the International Conference of the Human Development Capability Association, Netherlands, September 2006.
  11. "Global Versus International Justice," in World Civilization Forum (led by AmartyaSen), Tokyo July 2005.
  12. " The Archemidean Lever: Right In the face of Might ", the Max Perutz Memorial Lecture, InternationalHuman Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies, London,May 2005.
  13. "The Popular Will as a Power for Peace" the Isaiah Berlin Lecture, Oxford, February 2005.
  14. "When Two Rights Conflict: The Right of Return and the Right to Freedom "keynote address, University of Chicago Law School, 2004.
  15. "Territoriality: A Means Or An End?" at Territoriality and xtra-Territoriality: Instruments for Changing Attitudes, Amman, 2004.
  16. "On Killing Your Enemy" at 21st World Congress of Philosophy, Istanbul, 2004.
  17. "On Why Dignity is Non-Negotiable" at the American Philosophical Association, Chicago, 2004.

45."On the Relevance of Philosophy In the Arab World Today", the Shlomo Pines Lecture, Israel's Academy of Science, Jerusalem, 2003.

  1. "The Peace process and Palestinian Statehood" - Presentation made at the United Nations Asian Meeting on The Question of Palestine - Hanoi - Vietnam on March 2000.
  2. "On Respect: Culture & Values Conflicts ", Brandeis center for Ethics Justice and Public Life, Sep 23 1997.

Teaching Experience:

. The School of Criticism and Theory, Cornell University, Summer 2015

  • Non-Resident Associate, Humanities Center, Johns Hopkins University (2011-2014).
  • Visiting Lectureship, EPHE, La Sorbonne, Jan. 2011.
  • Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University - 2006
  • Fellow, The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University (2004-2005).
  • Visiting Lectureship, Balliol College, Oxford, U.K, (Fall Term, 2003).
  • Fellow, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C. (1994-1995).
  • Assistant Professor, Philosophy Cultural Studies, Birzeit University (1978-1990).
  • Visiting Lecturer, Islamic Philosophy, The Hebrew University (1979-1980).

Courses Taught:

  • Cultural Studies (Ancient and Medieval Texts).
  • Cultural Studies (Philosophers of the Enlightenment).
  • Islamic Philosophy (various levels).
  • Political Theory Seminar.
  • Special Topics: Freedom and Identity.
  • Special Seminar: Logical Relations in Islamic Theology (kalam).
  • Symbolic Logic.
  • Critical Thinking.
  • Philosophy of Science (Introduction).
  • Philosophy of Law (Introduction).

Affiliations/Memberships

International:

  • Advisory Board Member, the School of Criticism and Theory at Cornell University, 2015-
  • International Advisory Board Member, International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public life. (Until 2013).
  • Honorary Member, Dan Pearl Foundation.
  • Council on Foreign Relations (IAB), New York. (until 2010)
  • The Center for Ethics and Law, UCL, UK.
  • L'InstitutEuropeen de la Mediterranee.
  • The Club of Monaco.
  • World Affairs Council (Amman/Jordan).
  • Country Editor for Ethical Perspectives ,
  • Vice-President of The International Literary Quarterly Inc . ,

Local:

  • Honorary Member, Board of Trustees, Al-Quds University, 2014-.
  • Chairman, Board of Trustees, The Arab Institute 2015-.
  • The Palestinian Consultancy Group (1993-2010).
  • The Augusta Victoria Hospital (1996-2000).
  • The National Society for the Blind (1995-2011).
  • The Palestinian Association for Vocational Training (1990-2000).
  • Princess Basma Hospital for the Physically Handicapped (1997-2000).

Some Additional Activities/Functions:

  • Co-Chairman, Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO)
  • Chairman, Union of Faculty and Staff, Birzeit University (1979-1982).
  • Fatah Strategist, The Unified National Command of the Intifada (1988-1991).
  • Member of the Steering Committee of the Palestinian Negotiating Team (1991-1993).
  • Co-founder and Chairman: The Higher Political Committees in the Occupied Territories (1991-1994).
  • Chairman, Technical and Advisory Committees to the Peace talks (1991-1993).
  • Co-founder: The Higher Committee of Fatah in the Occupied Territories (1991-1994).
  • Member: The Palestinian National Council.
  • Co-founder: The Peoples' Peace Campaign (2001).
  • Co-founder and General-Secretary: The Peoples' Campaign for Peace and Democracy HASHD, (2003-Present).
  • PLO Commissioner for Jerusalem Affairs (2002).

Citations/Awards:

  • Bard College Award & Honorary Degree" Doctor of Humane Letters " , May 21, 2011.
  • Siegfried UnseldPreis with Amos Oz , 2010.
  • Honorary doctorate "Doctor HonorisCausa", Leuven, Belgium. February 2009.
  • Brevet Commandeur De L'ORDRE Leopold, June 2006.
  • Recipient, XVI PremiInternacionalCatalunya Award, 2004.
  • Recipient, University In Exile Award, New School, N.Y. 2004.
  • Recipient, the Roosevelt Four Freedoms Medal, the Hague, 2004.
  • Recipient, the Lew Kopelew Award, Koln, Germany, 2002.
  • Recipient of Seeds of Peace Award, on June 3, 2002, in New York.
  • Recipient of Common Ground Award for Journalism in the Middle East.
    Winner Arab Press Category for What Next Al-Quds al-ArabiSeptember 24, 2001, Brussells, 2002.
  • UNESCO Chair of Freedom of Expression, Al-Quds University.
  • Recipient of Terni San Valentino Peace Award, on February 5, 2002, in Italy.
  • Co-recipient of Peace Award, The Foundation for Middle East Peace, Washington, D.C ,1994.
    The citation reads: “The Palestinian philosopher whose detailed model for a two-state solution to the conflict now includes a set of blueprints for Palestinian self-government”.

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