Knowra Islamic philosophy Islamic philosophy Islamic philosophy is philosophical inquiry developed in Muslim societies, drawing on Greek thought, Islamic theology, and other intellectual traditions. It includes debates about reason, revelation, existence, knowledge, and the good life.
Falsafa : The tradition of philosophy in the medieval Islamic world, shaped especially by translations and interpretations of Greek philosophy. This Arabic tradition is the main historical form of philosophy within Islamic societies.
Al-Kindi : An early ninth-century philosopher who helped introduce and adapt Greek philosophy in Arabic. He argued that philosophical inquiry could serve the pursuit of truth in Islam.
Causality in Islamic philosophy : Debates over whether created things possess genuine causal powers and how divine action relates to natural events. The dispute distinguishes occasionalist accounts from philosophical theories of natural causes.
Tahafut al-Falasifa : Al-Ghazali's eleventh-century work criticizing the metaphysical doctrines of Muslim philosophers. Its arguments made the compatibility of philosophy and Islamic belief a lasting controversy.
Latin translations of Arabic philosophy : Medieval translations of Arabic philosophical and scientific works into Latin, especially from the twelfth century onward. They carried works by Avicenna and Averroes into debates at European universities.
Kalam : Rational theology in Islam, using argument to examine doctrines such as divine unity, creation, and human freedom. Its theologians challenged philosophers on revelation, causation, and God's attributes.
Al-Farabi : A tenth-century philosopher whose work joined logic, metaphysics, political thought, and theories of prophecy. His account of the virtuous city and prophetic knowledge shaped later debates.
Essence and existence : The metaphysical distinction between what a thing is and the fact that it exists. Avicenna used this distinction to argue that contingent beings depend on a necessary existent.
Tahafut al-Tahafut : Averroes's response to Al-Ghazali's critique of the philosophers. It defends philosophical demonstration against the charges raised in Tahafut al-Falasifa.
Scholasticism : A medieval approach to learning that used structured argument and commentary to reconcile authoritative texts. Scholastic thinkers engaged with Arabic philosophers' interpretations of Aristotle and metaphysics.
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