Muhammad Muhammad ‘Abd Al-Halim., Sakina

doi:10.21608/bfsgm.2025.441728

"Consciousness between Philosophy and Islam: A Study of Perception, Intentionality, and their Contemporary Applications—Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics as a Case Study

Author

Sakina Muhammad Muhammad ‘Abd al-Halim.

Al-Azhar University

10.21608/bfsgm.2025.441728

Abstract

The concept of consciousness is among the central philosophical problems that have occupied human thought since antiquity. Philosophical accounts have differed significantly in explaining its nature, sources, dimensions, and functions. This study aims to trace the development of the notion of consciousness in Western philosophy, beginning with classical Greek thought, proceeding through key modern thinkers such as Descartes and Kant, and culminating in contemporary theoretical approaches. Particular attention is given to the notions of perception and intentionality as two principal components of consciousness.
The study also investigates the treatment of consciousness in Islamic thought, focusing on the contributions of al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā, and al-Ghazālī, especially their analyses of intention and purposiveness, and juxtaposes these insights with parallel discussions in Western philosophy. A central aim of the research is to establish a link between classical and contemporary philosophical articulations and current technological developments, particularly in the domains of artificial intelligence and digital ethics.
It raises fundamental questions concerning the extent to which intelligent systems can possess a form of consciousness or intentionality analogous to that of human beings. The study demonstrates that, despite the significant advances in machine learning and autonomous decision-making, artificial intelligence still lacks the ethical and spiritual dimensions that are essential to human consciousness.
Methodologically, the research employs an analytical approach to dissect core concepts, a comparative method to highlight points of convergence and divergence between Islamic and Western perspectives, and an applied framework to explore the viability of employing these concepts within the domains of artificial intelligence and digital ethics.
The study reaches several conclusions, chief among them: that the conception of consciousness in Islamic thought is marked by its integrative rational, spiritual, and moral character, whereas Western philosophy predominantly emphasizes its sensory and rational dimensions; that there is a notable parallel between the Islamic notion of niyya (intention) and the Western concept of intentionality, both of which are central to human consciousness; and that, notwithstanding the progress in artificial intelligence, it remains devoid of the ethical and spiritual substance that characterizes human awareness.
The study recommends the expansion of comparative philosophical research between Islamic and Western traditions, the development of a normative Islamic ethical framework to guide the applications of artificial intelligence, and further inquiry into the operationalization of intentionality in intelligent systems, particularly in relation to ethical decision-making and digital justice.

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