Empires end. The largest by land area, the British Empire, reached its peak over a century ago. The second biggest, the Mongol Empire, reached its zenith in 1300 AD. Sadly, it isn't just physical empires that collapse. Intellectual powerhouses also meet their demise.
Europe suffered through the so-called Dark Ages after the decline of the Greco-Roman civilization. The Islamic world, on the other hand, blossomed. The Middle East's intellectual golden age is the reason so many English mathematical words, along with many star names, are derived from Arabic. But this scientific and cultural ascendancy died in the 13th century.
Just for the hell of it, I asked my AI: "Reasons for the decline in science in the arab world around 1200 AD." The answer it gave is a flashing red warning for the US in 2025. It began:
The decline of science in the Arab world after around 1200 AD is a complex and debated topic among historians. There is no single cause, but rather a confluence of political, social, religious, and economic factors that contributed to the gradual decline of the once-flourishing Islamic Golden Age. Here are the key reasons:
It provided seven key reasons, most of which apply to the US today. Others were specific to the history of the time. Here they are:
🔹 1. Political Fragmentation and Instability
- After the height of the Abbasid Caliphate, the Islamic world fractured into smaller, competing states.
- Political instability led to less patronage for scholars and institutions.
- The sack of Baghdad in 1258 by the Mongols was a massive blow — it destroyed libraries, scholars, and institutions like the House of Wisdom.
Consider this: in the age of DOGE, there is less federal funding for scientific research. Meanwhile, the assault on libraries, scholars, and universities is intensifying nationally, particularly in red states.
🔹 2. Loss of Patronage
- Earlier caliphs heavily funded science, translation, and education.
- Later rulers prioritized military spending and religious orthodoxy over scientific inquiry.
- Wealth and power shifted to regions less focused on intellectual pursuits.
This restates much of the first section. However, it adds what today are the Pentagon and fundamentalist Protestantism to the mix. And while the right sells tax cuts for the rich as a "trickle-down" driver of job growth, no one has marketed them as an intellectual stimulant.
🔹 3. Religious Conservatism and Orthodoxy
- Over time, conservative religious scholars (like al-Ghazali) criticized rational philosophy and the sciences as conflicting with Islamic teachings.
- Philosophy and some sciences (especially astronomy, evolution, and metaphysics) were seen as threatening or heretical.
- The influence of Ash'arite theology discouraged free philosophical and scientific reasoning.
In the struggle between religion and reason, science suffers when religion dominates. Note: Religion in itself is not necessarily anti-intellectual. The Roman Catholic Church, despite its criticism of science in the time of Galileo, has turned the corner and now accepts the validity of science and the physical laws of the universe.
On evolution, it keeps its theological skirts clean by insisting that God got the ball rolling. However, it allows the individual believer to cling to young earth creationism or embrace the scientific consensus on undirected evolution or anything in between. Essentially, its position is that it doesn't take a position on the nuts and bolts of the matter.
Fundamentalist Protestants, however, will see in Ash'arite theology a precursor for their intellectual limitations. For the reader unfamiliar with this Islamic philosophy, here are its tenets:
- The universe is originated;
- The universe has an originator or creator;
- The creator of the universe is knowing, powerful and willing;
- Prophecy is possible;
- Miracles are possible;
- Miracles indicate the truthfulness of one who claims to be a prophet;
- Muhammad claimed to be a prophet and performed miracles.
The Bible bashers won't agree with the Muhammad bit. But they will see the rest of this wishful thinking as kosher.
🔹 4. Language and Isolation
- After the peak of translation efforts (Greek to Arabic), fewer new works were produced or translated.
- Arabic science became intellectually isolated, especially as Europe began translating Arabic texts into Latin — sparking the European Renaissance, but not reciprocating.
The modern equivalent is the growth of China as a hub of technological advance. If Trump keeps up his assault on international students, Europe will also reclaim its former scientific leadership. To date, 40% of Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Americans. Of the scientific awards won by Americans, more than a third (36%) of them have gone to foreign-born citizens. Expect that to dry up.
🔹 5. Economic Decline and Shifting Trade Routes
- The Arab world lost its economic dominance as global trade routes shifted due to European exploration and colonization.
- Economic hardship meant less funding for scholarly activity and education.
Modern colonialism does not rely on military occupation. Rather, as China has shown with its 'Belt and Road initiative,' domination is financial. Trump is speeding East Asia's rise with his C.19th tariff-based economic insanity. (Note: It's no coincidence that he put an advocate of 19th-century medicine in charge of the nation's health.
🔹 6. Colonialism and External Invasions (Later Period)
- Though this is more relevant after 1500, European colonization further weakened indigenous institutions and scientific development in the Arab world.
As stated above, China is today's colonizing power.
🔹 7. Internal Intellectual Stagnation
- Scientific inquiry became more rote and preservational, focused on commentaries rather than innovation.
- There was less emphasis on experimentation and empirical observation.
"Intellectual stagnation" is a synonym for "conservatism." In addition, the rise of the internet has made many Americans victims of social media influencers. "Do your own research" is a synonym for "Indulge in confirmation bias." Why bother to experiment or empirically observe when you already know the answer because Fox News or the guy in the pulpit gave it to you?
My AI wrapped things up.
Summary
The decline wasn't a sudden collapse in 1000 AD, but a slow erosion of the social, political, and intellectual conditions that had previously nurtured scientific inquiry.
While Europe absorbed and built upon the Arab world's scientific heritage during the Renaissance, the Islamic world saw a relative stagnation — not due to inherent cultural limitations, but due to shifting historical circumstances.
That was then. Now we live in a go-go age. The erosion will not be slow. Much as Europe built on the Arab world's scientific heritage as Islamic leaders pissed away their nation's vitality, some new power, in all likelihood South-East Asia, will build on America's scientific heritage as it collapses under the weight of Christian fundamentalism and bloody-minded science-denialism.
Ironically, Europe may also see a renaissance of homegrown intellectualism as their youth look at the once glorious United States and say, "No thanks. There are better options."