Relationship between Cognitive Science and Islamic Philosophy

Cognitive science is the study of the brain, mind, intelligence, and related processes. The two main tasks of this science are: 1. To produce models that describe the function of the human brain and cognitive functions, 2. To compare the complex three-factor of the mind, brain and computer. The main and dominant hypothesis of this science is that thinking is a representative and computational phenomenon, and of course this hypothesis has been criticized by Western scholars. Using analytical-rational method, the present article seeks to explain the relationship between cognitive science and Islamic philosophy and show that some common principles and approaches of cognitive science, including: 1. materialism and naturalism of mind or soul, 2. exclusivism in experimental and scientific methods in the studies on mind, 3. determinism in human actions, 4. relativism of cognition, 5. materialism of cognition, are all in conflict with the psychology and epistemology in Islamic philosophy. However, such contrasts should not be considered negative, but rather in a positive way, it can be understood that cognitive scientists need to pay more attention to the rational issues of Islamic philosophy, and conversely, researchers of Islamic philosophy need to consider the findings of the cognitive science.