Interpretation of Arabic Philosophical Texts [ LFILO2300 ]

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Reading knowledge of Arabic is advisable but not absolutely necessary. It is sufficient if students have had a course in the history of Arabic philosophy, or a background level of knowledge of Arab philosophy which is equivalent.

The course will consist of a critical reading of texts authored by thinkers from the Arab-Islamic cultural sphere, and will situate them in their particular context, indicating their importance for the history of thought. The goal of the course is to allow students to attempt their own readings of " Arab " philosophical texts, by furnishing them with the linguistic, philosophical, and historical tools necessary for this task.

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The course will have two parts : The first, this year, will concentrate on texts by Averroes dealing with the question of the noetic (concept of thinking and knowledge) and the relation between philosophy and religion. The second part will read texts by Ibn Arabi about the voyage of the Prophet to Jerusalem, which for the Sheikh Al-Akbar is a means of putting forth a conception of the mystical.

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