Knowledge Is a Prisoner of Its Tools
Editorial verification status: This atom has been extracted from an explanatory audio-visual source, and it has now been linked to the nearest books within Shahrur’s project at the book level. For precise academic citation, consult the original book and the original episode together.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur says that human knowledge is tied to the tools it produces; therefore, reading must change as the tools of knowledge change.
Explanation
He uses the example of the eye and the microscope to show that human beings see the world through their mediations, not directly. If the means change, the data one sees change as well. From here, he criticizes the continued use of old interpretive tools to understand a new epistemic reality. This idea links epistemology with religious interpretation.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This atom supports his claim that the old interpretation is no longer sufficient.
It also justifies his move from inherited jurisprudence to a contemporary reading.
Scope of the claim
He does not say that the old tools are entirely invalid, only that they are not sufficient on their own to understand the present.
Brief witness
“Knowledge is a prisoner of its tools”
Nearby links
- Shahrur - The Qur’an in Contemporary Thought
- Shahrur - Jurisprudence
- Shahrur - Reasons for Revelation