The Status of Women in Abu al-Hasan al-Amiri: A Study of the Philosophical Foundations of Women's Educational Status and Its Contemporary Extensions

Abstract

This study falls within the body of research concerned with the intellectual and philosophical foundations of women’s status in education. It seeks to analyze Abu al-Hasan al-Amiri’s (913–992 CE) conception of women’s position within his ethical and civic framework, with the aim of identifying its implications for contemporary educational debates on empowerment and participation. The study adopts a comparative analytical approach through an examination of al-Amiri’s Al-Sa‘adah wa al-Is‘ad fi al-Sirah al-Insaniyyah and a comparison of his perspective with that of Ibn Rushd (1126–1198 CE) regarding women’s participation. The study shows that the conception of women’s status is linked to a philosophical vision of the family, virtue, and the organization of social roles. Al-Amiri assigns women a central role in education and the inculcation of values within the family, considering the family a fundamental sphere for the formation of the individual and the development of moral civilization, while women’s participation in the public sphere remains constrained by the prevailing social context. By contrast, Ibn Rushd presents a more open conception in which education and competence constitute the basis for social participation. The study concludes that an examination of al-Amiri’s and Ibn Rushd’s views reveals a shift in philosophical thinking about women, from an emphasis on defining functions and roles to questioning the conditions of participation and merit, thereby opening up possibilities for rethinking the relationship between education and equality in contemporary thought.