The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy

by Peter S. Adamson (Editor), Richard C. Taylor (Editor)

Representing one of the great traditions of Western philosophy, philosophy written in Arabic and in the Islamic world was inspired by Greek philosophical works and the indigenous ideas of Islamic theology. This collection of essays, by some of the leading scholars in Arabic philosophy, provides an introduction to the field by way of chapters devoted to individual thinkers (such as al-Farabi, Avicenna and Averroes) or groups, especially during the 'classical' period from the ninth to the twelfth centuries.

Genres: Philosophy, Islam, Religion, History, Nonfiction, Reference, Middle East

448 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2000

About the author

Peter Scott Adamson is an American academic who is professor of philosophy in late antiquity and in the Islamic world at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich as well as professor of ancient and medieval philosophy at Kings College London.

Reviews

[Sagheer Afzal · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being on my bookshelf for a long time I decided to finally read it. I have to say that Metaphysics to me is very inane and I did struggle to engage with the topics that so fascinated Arabic philosophers but that said I did learn anew the following things:

1) The influence of Plato and Aristotle upon Islamic philosophy cannot be understated. Muslim philosophers genuinely revered Plato. Their reverence in no way influenced by whether or not Plato was a monotheist. Plato and Aristotle seemed to have given birth to a line of enquiry that was to persist for centuries. Namely, the soul. I find it interesting that so many Muslim philosophers seemed to deem it essential to prove the existence of the soul and how belief that soul existed was essential to your faith as a Muslim. Interestingly, the Quran is not a metaphysical book. It does not elaborate on the nature of the soul or try to prove its existence.

2) The Arabic philosophers regarded themselves at the inheritors of the legacy of the prophets. They genuinely believed that their superior knowledge of natural sciences, logic, and mathematics enabled them alone to perceive the hidden mysteries of the Quran. They regarded people who were not as erudite as akin to sheep in need of guidance.

3) I was intrigued to learn that elements of Jewish philosophy were very similar to Muslim philosophy and that even Maimonedes had the view that the secrets of the Torah were not accessible to the common man and only the philosophers could convey them to the masses. Very similar to the way Arabic philosophers regarded the mysteries of the Quran.

All in all; a good and concise book. Even better if you are fascinated by metaphysics.

[Steven R. Kraaijeveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I (re)turned to this Cambridge Companion, parts of which I had read several years ago for my bachelor's degree, while writing an essay on the role of imagination in Averroës' philosophy. It's a lovely volume, containing relatively up-to-date essays by leading scholars on Arabic philosophy as well as its history, intellectual debts, and subsequent influences.

Especially good, and pertinent to my essay, was a chapter (15) called Psychology: soul and intellect, written by Deborah L. Black. Funny story: a few days ago, I e-mailed a professor in Toronto in order to ask permission to cite her unpublished draft translation into English of Averroës' Short Commentary or epitome; to which she very kindly responded in the affirmative. Her name was Deborah L. Black. It wouldn't have changed anything, but I can't help feeling sorry that I hadn't read her chapter before contacting her.

[Mohammed Sokrati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good introduction to Arabic Philosophy.

Great care has been taken to assure a pedagogic approach.
All along the book (from the structure of the book, choice & content of the articles, difficulties of the chapters, ...) a gradual and relevant approach is maintained.

My favourite chapters:
- Chapter 2: Greek into Arabic: Neoplatonism (eye-opener!)
- Chapter 6: Avicenna (at some places a little difficult).
- Chapter 7: Al-Ghazali
- Chapters 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18

[nawir nawir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku ini layak dibaca kalau anda ingin mengetahui filsafat Arab / Islam dan ingin nimpuk para bigot yang bilang agama Islam itu terbelakang.

Tema-tema yang menarik menurut saya adalah keterciptaan alam semesta, pengetahuan Tuhan, waktu, dan..masih banyak yang lainnya.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Averroes, Avicenna and Suhrawardi are the bomb!

[Pooya Razavian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best introduction to Islamic philosophy. It covers both the most important thinkers and subjects. Each chapter is well written and targeted to people new to the subject.

[Alper Atasoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sahanın önemli isimlerinin makalelerinden oluşan, İslam felsefesine giriş için okunabilecek faydalı bir eser...