Allāh transcendent: studies in the structure and semiotics of Islamic philosophy, theology, and cosmology.Ian Richard Netton -1989 - New York: Routledge.detailsIntroduction THE FACES OF GOD How many faces has God? Egyptologists have wrestled with the problem over many years ...
Al-Fārābī and His School.Ian Richard Netton -1992 - Richmond, Surrey: Routledge.detailsExamines one of the most exciting and dynamic periods in the development of medieval Islam, from the late 9th to the early 11th century, through the thought of five of its principal thinkers, prime among them al-Farabi. This great Islamic philosopher, called 'the Second Master' after Aristotle, produced a recognizable school of thought in which others pursued and developed some of his own intellectual preoccupations. Their thought is treated with particular reference to the most basic questions which can be asked (...) in the theory of knowledge or epistemology. The book thus fills a lacuna in the literature by using this approach to highlight the intellectual continuity which was maintained in an age of flux. Particular attention is paid to the ethical dimensions of knowledge. (shrink)
Islamic Philosophy and Theology: Critical Concepts in Islamic Thought. Legacies, Translations and Prototypes. Vol. 1.Ian Richard Netton (ed.) -2006 - Routledge.detailsIslam, one of the worlds great faiths, was born as a result of the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632) in Arabia. A proper understanding of the Islamic present depends on an accurate knowledge of the way in which Islamic thought developed from medieval times onwards. For instance, Islam evolved a sophisticated theology and set of philosophical systems of its own, which owed something to the impact of Greek thought, but became uniquely Islamic because of the (...) vital presence within that faith of the Quran. Furthermore, Islam soon came into contact with Greek philosophy and science, and a translation movement into Arabic began. The roles of Kason and Revelation, and the primacy that was to be given to one or the other, came to the fore. Problems which had also vexed Christianity such as anthropomorphism, free will and predestination provided intellectual stimulation for Islamic thinkers, while the mystical impulse, articulated in Islamic Sufism, imbued the writings of several of the theologians and philosophers considered in these volumes. Taken together, all of these issues constitute a golden period of Islamic debate and intellectual inquiry, and the articles collected in this fascinating set reflect that Islamic dynamic. (shrink)
Method, Structure, and Development in al-Fārābī’s Cosmology. By Damien Janos.Ian Richard Netton -2021 -Journal of the American Oriental Society 135 (4).detailsMethod, Structure, and Development in al-Fārābī’s Cosmology. By Damien Janos. Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Science, vol. 85. Leiden: Brill, 2012. Pp. xiv + 433. $221, €166.
Obituary: Dr Brian Carr (1946–2022).Ian Richard Netton -2023 -Asian Philosophy 33 (2):91-93.detailsIt is with great sadness that we record the death at the age of 76 of Dr Brian Carr, the co-founder and co-editor with Professor Indira Mahalingam Carr of Asian Philosophy.Brian was born on 12 June...
Seek knowledge: thought and travel in the house of Islam.Ian Richard Netton -1996 - Richmond, Surrey [England]: Curzon Press.detailsExplores various facets of the Islamic search for knowledge, with essays on aspects of Thought or Travel.
Epistles of the Brethren of Purity: On companionship and belief.Samer F. Traboulsi,Toby Mayer &Ian Richard Netton (eds.) -2016 - Oxford: Oxford University Press, in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies.detailsThe Ikhwan al-Safa' (Brethren of Purity), the anonymous adepts of a tenth-century esoteric fraternity based in Basra and Baghdad, hold an eminent position in the history of science and philosophy in Islam due to the wide reception and assimilation of their monumental encyclopaedia, the Rasa 'il Ikhwan al-Safa' (Epistles of the Brethren of Purity). This compendium contains fifty-two epistles offering synoptic accounts of the classical sciences and philosophies of the age; divided into four classificatory parts, it treats themes in mathematics, (...) logic, natural philosophy, psychology, metaphysics, and theology, in addition to didactic fables.Epistles 43-45 succeed the extended description of religions and creeds that opens the final section of the corpus, on the theological sciences. Epistle 43 explains briefly the need for purifying one's soul by performing virtuous acts, after which one can follow the 'straight path' to God. The extremely diverse Epistle 44 is no dry exercise in abstruse theology; rather, it is characterized by the most delightful anecdotes, designed to inform the reader of a deeper truth, that of the hereafter following the soul's separation from the body at death. Alongside references to many of the Prophets encountered in the Qur'an, this Epistle shows a familiarity with other religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism. Epistle 45 focuses on companionship and friendship, resonating strongly with the word 'Brethren' by which the authors distinguish themselves. The volume overall is united in its underlying themes of the immortality of the soul and the profound need for mutual cooperation, informed in parts by the general Neoplatonism of the entire corpus, as well as by Aristotelian and Platonic motifs. (shrink)
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On Companionship and Belief: An Arabic Critical Edition and English Translation of Epistles 43-45.Samer F. Traboulsi,Toby Mayer &Ian Richard Netton (eds.) -2016 - Oxford: Oxford University Press UK.detailsThe Brethren of Purity, the anonymous adepts of a tenth-century esoteric fraternity, hold an eminent position in the history of science and philosophy in Islam due to the wide reception and assimilation of their monumental encyclopaedia, the Rasa 'il Ikhwan al-Safa'. Its fifty-two epistles offer synoptic accounts of the classical sciences and philosophies of the age; divided into four classificatory parts, it treats themes in mathematics, logic, natural philosophy, psychology, metaphysics, and theology, in addition to didactic fables. Epistles 43-45 are (...) some of the richest and most diverse in the corpus of the Brethren of Purity. This volume includes anecdotes and visions of paradise, Qur'anic quotations and interfaith references, as well as Platonic motifs. The prevailing theme of the immortality of the soul is considered in detail, along with the necessity of co-operation in this world in order for the soul to be able to break free of it. (shrink)