Al-Farabi and His School

by Ian Richard Netton

Al-Farabi and His School examines one of the most exciting and dynamic periods in the development of medieval Islam: the period which ran from the late ninth century to the early eleventh century AD. This age is examined through the thought of five of its principal thinkers and named after the first and greatest of these as the "Age of Farabism."

Ian Richard Netton demonstrates that the great Islamic philosopher al-Farabi (870-950), called "the Second Master" after Aristotle, produced a recognizable school of thought. This school of thought, which Netton refers to as the "School of al-Farabi," was influenced by the thought of Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus. Yet, it was much more than a mere clone of Greek thought. The originality and independence of thought expressed by such adherents as Yahya b. Adi, Abu Sulayman al-Sijistani, al-Amiri and Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi is described, appreciated, and critically assessed in this volume, with an emphasis given to the fundamentals of epistemology. Al-Farabi and His School is unique in its examination of the intellectual continuity that was maintained in an age of flux, and its particular emphasis on the ethical dimensions of knowledge.

Genres: Philosophy, Islam, Nonfiction, Religion

Paperback

First published September 24, 1992

Reviews

[Raihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised by how good this was, given its succinctness as well as the author’s occasional penchant for more speculative interpretive frameworks elsewhere, and finally his positive appraisal of sources which are criticized by the mainstream of the contemporary field (e.g. Arkoun, Kraemer, etc.). This is a great introduction however, and is worth recommending to non-specialists as well as working early on in post-introductory undergraduate courses.

[naseer yahya · Rating 3 out of 5]

informational