Dr. Muhammad Kamal

Dr. Muhammad Kamal (1955-) is a Kurd from Iraq known for his philosophical works on the meaning of existence. He is acknowledged to be one of the founding members of the Existentialist group and movement in Kurdistan. This group surfaced after Kamal’s two public lectures on Existentialism, organised by Kurdish Writers Union in Sulemani in 1977. Kamal left Kurdistan in 1979 and later he migrated to Australia in 1994. He obtained his Ph.D. in philosophy in 1988 and wrote his dissertation on Hegel’s logic. Under the influence of Martin Heidegger, Kamal advocates the idea that creativity is one of the ontological conditions for human existence because the human beings exist in the world without a fixed and pre-given essence. His main philosophical works in Kurdish include: The Philosophy of Hegel (2002), Being and Creativity (2004), Nietzsche and Postmodernism (2006), Heidegger and a Philosophical Revolt (2007). Kamal writes in English and he is the author of Hegel’s Metalogic (1989), Mulla Sadra’s Transcendent Philosophy (2006) and From Essence to Being: The Philosophies of Mulla Sadra and Martin Heidegger (2010). He has also translated a number of philosophical works of Plato and Aristotle into Kurdish. Currently, he is a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne.

His essays:

. The Philosophy of Mulla Sadra and Martin Heidegger: From Essence to Being, London: ICAS Press, 2010. 2.

Mulla Sadra's Transcendent Philosophy, London : Ashgate Publishing Limited 2006. 3. "Religion and faith in Kurdistan". A chapter contributed to Fire, Snow and Honey: Voices from Kurdistan. Gina Lennox (ed.). Sydney: Hallstand. 2001. 4. Essential Dictionary of Islamic Thought. Co-author, Seaview Publisher, Adelaide, 2001. 5. Towards Hegel's Anthropology. Introduction By Bernd M. Scherer, Karachi, Karachi University Press, 1992. 6. Hegel's Metalogic, A Critical Study of Hegel's Logic. A Foreword by Prof. Manzur Ahmed, Karachi, Royal Book Co., 1989.

Articles and Research Papers

1. "Rethinking Being: From Suhravardi to Mulla Sadra," in Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, vol. 2, no. 4, London, 2010. 2. "Al-Ghazali's Hermeneutics and Phenomenology", published in Religion East and West, No. 4, June, 2004, The Institute of World Religions, California, U.S.A. 3. "Mu'tazilah: The Rise of Islamic Rationalism" published in Australian Rationalist, Journal of the Rational Society of Australia, No. 62, Autumn 2003. 4. "Heidegger and the Transition to Postmodernity", Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. XXXIX, No. 1, January 2002, University of Poona, Puna, India. 5. "Critique of Heidegger's Understanding of the Meaning of Being", Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. XXVIII, No. 3, July 2001, University of Poona, Puna, India. 6. "The Revival of al-Qadariyyah in Modern Islamic Thought", Journal of Arabic, Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies, Faculty of Arts, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, Vol 5, No 1, 1999. 7. "Master-Slave Relationship in Hegel’s Phenomenology". Indian Philosophical Quarterly, No. 3, Vol. XXII, October 1998, Department of Philosophy, University of Poona, Pune, India. 8. "Heidegger's Concept of the World", Indian Philosophical Quarterly, No. 3, Vol. XXII, July 1995, Department of Philosophy, University of Poona, Pune, India. 9. "Consciousness and Nothingness". Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. XX, No. 4, October, 1993, Department of Philosophy, University of Poona, Pune, India. 10. "The Self and the Other". Quest, Vol. III, 1993, Department of Philosophy, Government College, Lahore, Pakistan. 11. "Hegel's Legend of Self-determination". Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. XVII, No. 3, July 1990, Department of Philosophy, University of Poona, Pune, India. 12. "The Frankfurt School" in History of Philosophy in Urdu, edited by Qazi Qaisarul Islam, Karachi, National Book Foundation, 1990. 13. "Frankfurt School: The Rise of New Marxism". The Journal of European Studies, No. 2, & No. 1, for July 1988 and January 1989, Area Study Centre for Europe, University of Karachi, Pakistan. 14. "Hume's Concept of Personal Identity". The Journal of European Studies, No. 1, 1988, Area Study Centre for Europe, University of Karachi, Pakistan. 15. "A Critique of Critical Philosophy". The Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, No. 3, 1987, Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan. 16. "Iranian Left in a Political Dilemma", in Pakistan Horizon, No. 3, Vol. XXXIX, 1986, Pakistan Institute of International Affairs, Karachi, Pakistan. 17. "Aristotle's Political Theory". Third World International, March 1985, Karachi, Pakistan. 18. "A Happy Blend of Self-effacement and Self-abnegation". Third World International, October 1984, Karachi, Pakistan.

Sole-authored Books in Kurdish

1. Boon e Dahenan [Being and Creativity], Sulaimani: Dasgai Sardam, 2004 2. Falsafai Sartre w khwendeneweweki neo [The Philosophy of Sartre: A New Reading], Nawendi Roshinbiri Kurd, Sydney, 2003 3. Keshai boon le mezuy felsefeda [The Problem of Existence], Sulaimani: Dasgai Sardam, Iraq, 2002. 4. Falsafai Hegel [The Philosophy of Hegel], Sulaimani: Dasgai Sardam. Sulaimani, Iraq, 2001. 5. Ontologi benerati e buni mrov [Fundamental Ontology and Human Existence], Adelaide: Dasgai Hewar, 2001.

Articles and Research Papers in Kurdish

1. "Nihilis e Rehendekani Birkirdenewe", No. 36, 2002, Govari Ayinde, dasgai Sardam, Sulaimani. 2. "Chon le berhemi huner begeyn?", published in Rahand, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research, No. 11, 2000. Stocholm. Sweden. 3. "falsafa chiya?", Published in Hewar, a Kurdish Educational Journal, No. 1, February, 2000, Adelade. 4. "Heidegger e Postmodernity", Published in Zurwan, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research. No. 1. 1998. Holland. 5. "Chon le naweroki mirov begein?", published in Rahand, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research, No. 5, 1998. Stocholm. Sweden. 6. "Namoye", published in Mamostay Kurd, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research, No. 26, 1995, Sollentuna, Sweden. 7. "Heidegger Gorani Falsafi", published in Mamostay Kurd, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research, No. 24, 1995, Sollentuna, Sweden. 8. "Dialectiki hosh", Part Two, A study of Hegel's Phenomenology of Mind, published in Mamostay Kurd, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific research, No.16, 1993, Sollentuna, Sweden. 9. "Dialectiki Hosh", Part One, A study of Hegel's Phenomenology of Mind, published in Mamostay Kurd, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research, No.14, 1992, Sollentuna, Sweden. 10. "Hume e gumankeri", published in Mamostay Kurd, a Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research, No.13, 1992, Sollentuna, Sweden. 11. "Dialectiki zat e babet", published in Mamostay Kurd, A Kurdish Journal for Scientific Research, No.7, 1989, Sollentuna, Sweden. 12. "Seretayak le falsafai hindi", published in Roshinbiry Neo, periodical journal for scientific research, Ministry of Culture and Information, Baghdad, Iraq, No.107, September 1985

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