Aims

By the end of this course, the student should:
know the nature and the place of philosophy as it developed in the Arabic-Islamic cultural sphere;
know how to situate historically the thinkers and trends of Arabic-Islamic philosophy;
know how to situate philosophy's relationship to other forms of thinking in this particular cultural sphere;
know how to define the central issues addressed and what is at stake in them in the context of Arabic-Islamic philosophy;
know how to use the tools that allow one to study in a general, or more in depth, manner Arabic-Islamic thinking in its philosophical aspect.

Main themes

The course aims to give the students a broad historical perspective of the main trends of philosophy (falsafa) as these were developed in the Arabic-Islamic cultural sphere. The course attempts to define what falsafa is, what are its origins, and what place it occupies in Arabic-Islamic culture. It gives an introduction to the most influential thinkers and to the questions that have nourished the debates of the falâsifa.

Content and teaching methods

The course attempts primarily to define what falsafa is, what are its origins, and what is its place in relation to other forms of thinking developed at the heart of the Arabic-Islamic cultural sphere. The course focuses on the thinkers of the classical period, from al-Kindi to Averroës, passing through Avicenna, and attempts to bring out what is at stake in the main topics of concern discussed by these authors.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Pre-requisites: Introductory philosophy course.

Assessment: Oral exam, based on the subjects addressed in class as well as on the reading.

Supporting material: The students are encouraged to read the following works, available at the ISP library:
Fakhry, M. A History of Islamic Philosophy. New York: Columbia University Press, 1983 (2nd Edition, 1st edition: 1070). This book has been translated into French by M. Nasr, Histoire de la philosophie islamique. Paris: Editions du Cerf, 1989.
Cruz Hernandez, M., Historia del pensamiento en el mundo islamico. Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 1996.

Other credits in programs