THE
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY IN ISLAM
BY
Dr. T. J. DE BOER,
UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN.
TRANSLATED
(with the sanction of the Author)
BY
EDWARD R. JONES B.D.
LONDON
LUZAC & CO., 46, GREAT RUSSELL STREET,
1903.
TRANSLATOR’S PREFATORY NOTE.
This edition of Dr. de Boer’s recent work is produced in the hope that
it may prove interesting to not a few English readers, and especially
that it may be of service to younger students commencing to study the
subject which is dealt with in the following pages. The translator has
aimed at nothing more than a faithful reproduction of the original. His
best thanks are due to the accomplished author, for his kindness in
revising the proof-sheets of the version, as it passed through the
Press.
E. R. J.
PREFACE.
The following is the first attempt which has been made, since the
appearance of Munk’s excellent sketch [1], to present in connected form
a History of Philosophy in Islam. This work of mine may therefore be
regarded as a fresh initiation,—not a completion of such a task. I
could not know of all that had been done by others, in the way of
preliminary study in this field; and when I did know of the existence
of such material, it was not always accessible to me. As for manuscript
assistance, it was only in exceptional cases that this was at my
disposal.
Conforming to the conditions which I had to meet, I have in the
following account refrained from stating my authorities. But anything
which I may have taken over, nearly word for word or without testing
it, I have marked in foot-references. For the rest, I deeply regret
that I cannot duly indicate at present how much I owe, as regards
appreciation of the sources, to men like Dieterici, de Goeje,
Goldziher, Houtsma, Aug. Müller, Munk, Nöldeke, Renan, Snouck
Hurgronje, van Vloten, and many, many others.
Since the completion of this volume an interesting monograph on Ibn
Sina [2] has appeared, which farther extends its survey over the
earlier history of Philosophy in Islam. It gives rise to no occasion,
however, to alter substantially my conception of the subject.
For all bibliographical details I refer the reader to “die
Orientalische Bibliographie”, Brockelmann’s “Geschichte der Arabischen
Litteratur”, and Ueberweg—Heinze’s “Grundriss der Geschichte der
Philosophie” II3, p. 213 sqq. In the transcription of Arabic names I
have been more heedful of tradition and German pronunciation, than of
consistency. Be it noted only that z is to be pronounced as a soft s,
and th like the corresponding English sound [3]. In the Index of
Personal Names, accents signify length.
As far as possible I have confined myself to Islam. On that ground Ibn
Gebirol and Maimonides have received only a passing notice, while other
Jewish thinkers have been entirely omitted, although, philosophically
considered, they belong to the Muslim school. This, however, entails no
great loss, for much has been written already about the Jewish
philosophers, whereas Muslim thinkers have hitherto been sadly
neglected.
Groningen (Netherlands).
T. J. de Boer.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Introduction.
PAGE
1. The Theatre 1–6
1. Ancient Arabia 1
2. The first Caliphs. Medina. The Shiʻites 2
3. The Omayyads. Damascus, Basra and Kufa 3
4. The Abbasids. Bagdad 3
5. Minor States. Fall of the Caliphate 5
2. Oriental Wisdom 6–11
1. Semitic Speculation 6
2. Persian Religion. Zrwanism 8
3. Indian Wisdom 8
3. Greek Science 11–30
1. The Syrians 11
2. The Christian Churches 11
3. Edessa and Nisibis 12
4. Harran 13
5. Gondeshapur 14
6. Syriac Translations 14
7. Philosophy among the Syrians 16
8. Arabic Translations 17
9. The Philosophy of the Translators 19
10. Range of Tradition 21
11. Continuation of Neo-Platonism 22
12. The “Book of the Apple” 24
13. The “Theology of Aristotle” 25
14. Conception of Aristotle 27
15. Philosophy in Islam 28