PHILOSOPHY AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES: INTEGRATING THEORY, PRACTICE, AND VALUES

This textbook presents a comprehensive overview of the Philosophy and Contemporary Issues course, a newly introduced subject in all Malaysian public universities, which replaces the Islamic Civilization and Asian Civilization (TITAS) course. The book is designed to support international students by offering a clear, translated version of the syllabus content. It comprises eight chapters covering foundational philosophical themes grounded in Malaysia's national context.

The first chapter introduces the meaning, aim, and scope of philosophy with reference to Rukun Negara and the National Education Philosophy as the core frameworks. Subsequent chapters explore the relevance of philosophy in daily life, theories of happiness, and national development (Chapter 2); systems of logic and fallacies in reasoning contextualized within Malaysian issues (Chapter 3); and the nature and concept of man from Eastern and Western philosophical perspectives (Chapter 4).

Chapters 5 and 6 delve into metaphysics and epistemology, discussing questions of existence, the supernatural, and methods of determining truth through theories such as rationalism and empiricism. Chapter 7 critically examines modern ideological movements including modernism, postmodernism, relativism, and religious ideology, and their impact on humanity and the environment. The final chapter emphasizes the importance of decolonization and the formation of an authentic Malaysian identity rooted in divine-centered philosophy and the Philosophy of Well-Being (Falsafah Sejahtera).

By combining classical philosophical traditions with contemporary socio-cultural issues, this textbook offers a holistic and contextualized learning experience for students navigating both global ideas and local realities.