Alfarabi, The Political Writings: Selected Aphorisms and Other Texts (Agora Editions) [Paperback]

Alfarabi (Author), Charles E. Butterworth (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 080148913X | ISBN-13: 978-0801489136 | Publication Date: April 2004

Alfarabi was among the first to explore the tensions between the philosophy of classical Greece and that of Islam, as well as of religion generally. His writings, extraordinary in their breadth and deep learning, have had a profound impact on Islamic and Jewish philosophy. This volume presents four of Alfarabi's most important texts, making his political thought available to classicists, medievalists, and scholars of religion and Byzantine and Middle Eastern studies. In a clear prose translation by Charles E. Butterworth, these treatises provide a valuable introduction to the teachings of Alfarabi and to the development of Islamic political philosophy. All of these texts are based on new Arabic editions. Two--The Book of Religion and Harmonization of the Two Opinions of the Two Sages, Plato the Divine and Aristotle--appear in English for the first time. The translations of the other two works--Selected Aphorisms and chapter five of the Enumeration of the Sciences--differ markedly from those previously known to English-language readers. Butterworth situates each essay in its historical, literary, and philosophical context. His notes help the reader follow Alfarabi's text and identify persons, places, and events. English-Arabic and Arabic-English glossaries of terms further assist the reader.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author of many books, Charles E. Butterworth is Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080148913X
• ISBN-13: 978-0801489136
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Small book, big claims, March 10, 2009

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G-Man "G-Man" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alfarabi, The Political Writings: Selected Aphorisms and Other Texts (Agora Editions) (Paperback)

Alfarabi has a lot to say in this book. You can spend days analyzing brief passages, but getting to the core of what Farabi is saying is no easy task. Perhaps the greatest success of this book is just getting its reader to really think and putting him in a state of wonder.