The Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy (Routledge Philosophy Companions)

Description

This valuable reference work synthesizes and elucidates traditional themes and issues in Islamic philosophy as well as prominent topics emerging from the last twenty years of scholarship. Written for a wide readership of students and scholars, The Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy is unique in including coverage of both perennial philosophical issues in an Islamic context and also distinct concerns that emerge from Islamic religious thought. This work constitutes a substantial affirmation that Islamic philosophy is an integral part of the Western philosophical tradition. Featuring 33 chapters, divided into seven thematic sections, this volume explores the major areas of philosophy: Logic, Metaphysics, Philosophy in the Sciences, Philosophy of Mind/Epistemology, and Ethics/Politics as well as philosophical issues salient in Islamic revelation, theology, prophecy, and mysticism. Other features include: •A focus on both the classical and post-classical periods •A contributing body that includes both widely respected scholars from around the world and a handful of the very best younger scholars •"Reference" and "Further Reading" sections for each chapter and a comprehensive index for the whole volume The result is a work that captures Islamic philosophy as philosophy. In this way it serves students and scholars of philosophy and religious studies and at the same time provides valuable essays relevant to the study of Islamic thought and theology. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgements Notes on the Contributors Introduction Part I: Philosophical Issues in Islamic Revelation and Theology 1. God and Creation in al-Rāzī ’s Commentary on the Qurʾān Introduction Al-Rāzi and His Conception of the Creation of the World Creation in al-Rāzi’s al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr How Did God Create the World? The Creation of Human Beings Conclusion Further Reading References 2. Reasoning in the Qurʾān Introduction Commands Rules Legal Arguments Comparison Contrast Categorical Syllogisms Conditional Syllogisms Disjunctive Syllogisms Conclusion Further Reading References 3. Ethical Issues in the Qurʾā n and Ḥadīth Introduction Qurʾān and Ḥadīth Humanity: Moral Reasoning and Choice Personal Ethics Ethics and Learning Wealth and its Ethical Purposes The Elderly Those in Need Right and Wrong Differences between People Religious Pluralism Women and Men Ultimate Values and Global Responsibility Planet Earth and Ecology Conclusion Further Reading References 4. Human Reason in Islamic Theology Introduction Reason, Revelation, and the Kalām Mu‘tazilite Monotheism and Theodicy The Ash‘arites and the Problem of the Three Brothers Al-Ghazālī’s Contributions Conclusion Further Reading References 5. Jurisprudence and Political Philosophy in Medieval Islam Introduction Islamic Jurisprudence in Medieval Muslim Society Islamic Political Philosophy in Light of Jurisprudence Al-Fārābī on Virtuosity and the Virtuous City Conclusion Further Reading References Part II: Logic, Language, and the Structure of Science 6. Logic and Language Introduction Logic Logic and Language Language Conclusion Further Reading References 7. Rhetoric, Poetics, and the Organon Introduction The Inclusion of the Rhetoric and the Poetics in the Organon Rhetoric Poetry Conclusion Further Reading References 8. Demonstration and Dialectic in Islamic Philosophy Introduction Plato and Aristotle Greek Teachings on Dialectic and Intuition (noûs) in the Islamic Philosophical Tradition Ibn Sīnā on Dialectic and Demonstration Ibn Rushd on Dialectic and Demonstration Conclusion Further Reading References 9. The Structure and Methods of the Sciences Introduction From Late Antique Prolegomena to Classifications of the Sciences Construing the System: First Principles, Subject Matter and Subordination Innovating Methods: Induction vs. Experimentation Conclusion Further Reading References Part III: Philosophy in the Natural Sciences 10. The Establishment of the Principles of Natural Philosophy Introduction The Cosmos of Ancient and Medieval Natural Philosophy The Concept of Nature Principles of Nature: Privation, Matter, and Physical Bodies Principles of Nature: Form Natural Causation Conclusion Further Reading References 11. Causality in Islamic Philosophy Introduction Ibn Si naon Causality Al-Ghazālī and the Criticism of Causality Conclusion Further Reading References 12. The Eternity of the World Introduction Eternal Movement and the Eternity of the World: Aristotle’s Three Demonstrations Eternity of the World and Eternal Movement According to al-Fārābī Radical Eternalism: Ibn Rushd against Ibn Si naon Natural Necessity and Providence Conclusion Acknowledgement Further Reading References 13. Arabic Cosmology and the Physics of Cosmic Motion Introduction Classical Greek Cosmology and the Questions it Raises for Arabic Philosophy Al-Kindī and the Neoplatonica Arabica Al-Fārābi and the Baghdad School Ibn Sīnā Ibn Rushd Conclusion Further Reading References 14. Body, Soul, and Sense in Nature Introduction Ibn Sīnā’s Conception of the Soul and its Relationship to the Body Ibn Rushd’s Conception of the Soul and its Relationship to the Body Conclusion Further Reading References Part IV: Metaphysics 15. Establishing the Science of Metaphysics Introduction Metaphysics as an Aristotelian Science: the Model of the Posterior Analytics The Centrality of Ibn Sīnā’s Account of Metaphysics The Success of Ibn Sīnā’s Model Conclusion Further Reading References 16. Forms of Hylomorphism Introduction Ibn Sīnā’s Neoplatonized Aristotelian Hylomorphism: On Prime Matter, Corporeal Form and Simplicius Ibn Sīnā’s Neoplatonized Aristotelian Hylomorphism: On Plotinus, Proclus, and the Emanation of Bodies from Intellect Ibn Sīnā’s Neoplatonized Aristotelian Hylomorphism: On the Aristotelian Aspects of His View Avicennian Hylomorphism and Negative Matter Association Hylomorphism in Shahrastani Ps. Empedoclean Hylomorphism: Primal Matter as Love + Strife in Corporeal and Spiritual Beings The Impetus Behind the View: Neoplatonic Emanation, Pure Unspecified Being, and the Dependence of Beings Upon their Source Ps. Empedoclean Tradition in Jewish and Islamic Contexts Greek Backgrounds to Islamic Ps. Empedoclean Hylomorphism Ps. Empedoclean Hylomorphism and Positive Matter Associations Ps. Empedoclean v. Avicennian Conceptions of Matter: On the Locus of Desire, and the First Reality After God Conclusion Further Reading References 17. Essence and Existence in Ibn Sīnā Introduction Metaphysics and “Science” Metaphysical “Definitions”: “Thing” and “Quiddity” Metaphysical “Definitions”: “Being” and “Existence” Metaphysical “Definitions”: “Necessary,” “Possible,” “Impossible” Metaphysical “Suppositions”: “Necessary Existence” and “Possible Existence” Metaphysical Conclusions: Substances and Accidents Metaphysical Conclusions: The Causes Metaphysical Conclusions: Angels or Intelligences Conclusion Further Reading References 18. Primary and Secondary Causality Proclus as Source of the Doctrine of Primary and Secondary Causality Primary and Secondary Causality as Creation in the Kalām fī maḩd al-khair Primary and Secondary Causality in the Metaphysics of Ibn Sīnā Conclusion Further Reading References 19. Metaphysics of God Introduction Ibn Sīnā’s “New” Metaphysics Conclusion Further Reading References 20. Creation in Islam from the Qurʾān to al-Fārābī Introduction Creation in the Qurʾān Creation in the Kalām: Mu‘tazilites vs. Ash‘arites Creation in al-Kindī Creation in John Philoponus Creation in the Neoplatonica Arabica Creation in Ismā‘īlī Thought Creation in the Brethren of Purity Creation in al-Fārābī Conclusion Further Reading References Part V: Ethics and Political Philosophy 21. External and Internal Human Senses Introduction The Extension of the Domain of Perception Knowing the World: Sensible and Non-Sensible Entities The Value and Signification of Knowledge Gained Through the Senses Conclusion Further Reading References 22. The Epistemology of Abstraction Introduction al-Fārābi (d. 950/951) Ibn Sīnā (d. 1037) Ibn Rushd (d. 1198) Conclusion Further Reading References 23. Human Knowledge and Separate Intellect Introduction Interpreting Aristotle The Philosophical Context Al-Kindi and the First Theories Al-Fārābī Ibn Sīnā Conclusion Further Reading References 24. Intellect and the Intelligible in Unity Introduction Intellection as Unity Knowledge of Concepts vs. Knowledge of Things as They Are Being in This World Ṣadrā and His Sources Conclusion Further Reading References Part VI : Ethics and Political Philosophy 25. The Ethics and Metaphysics of Divine Command Theory Introduction Al-Ashʿarī’s DCT Criticisms of DCT Divine Purposes Theory (maqāṣid al-Sharīʿa) Conclusion Further Reading References 26. Freedom and Determinism Introduction Theological Positions Philosophical Positions Logical, Metaphysical, and Physical Determinism Conclusion Further Reading References 27. Principles of the Philosophy of State Introduction Philosophical Soteriology and Religion Language, Meaning, and Metaphysics Conclusion Further Reading References 28. Natural and Revealed Religion Introduction The Roadmap: Ibn Ṭufayl The Model: al-Fārābī A First Comparison: Philosophical Perspectives The Solitary Alternative: Ibn Bājja From a Different Angle: Theological Perspectives Conclusion Further Reading References 29. Law and Society Introduction The Place of Religion in the City Laws Conducive to the Well-Being of the City The Place of the Philosopher in the City and the Virtuous Regime Conclusion Further Reading References 30. The Ethical Treatment of Animals Introduction Al-Rāzī Ikhwān al-Ṣafā’ Ibn Ṭufayl Conclusion Acknowledgement Further Reading References Part VII: Philosophy, Religion, and Mysticism 31. Philosophy and Prophecy Introduction Aristotle’s Psychology and the Corrupted Arabic Version of the Al-Kindi on Prophecy Al-Fārābi on Prophecy Ibn Sīnā on Prophecy Al-Ghazālī on Prophecy Conclusion Further Reading References 32. Philosophical Sufism Introduction Ontology Theology Cosmology and Anthropology Conclusion Further Reading References 33. Religious Readings of Philosophy Introduction Before Ibn Sīnā Post-Avicennian Approach Conclusion Further Reading References Index