Customer Reviews

History Of Islamic Philosophy

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

_History of Islamic Philosophy_ by French esotericist and expert on Islamicism Henry Corbin is an account of some of the philosophical schools which have sprung up out of the traditions of the Arab peoples (composing one of the three principal Abrahamic faiths - that of Islam). The book is translated with help from the traditionalist Greek Orthodox Christian theologian Philip Sherrard, who himself was an early follower of Rene Guenon (a convert to Islam and founder of the Traditionalist School). The book is published by the Institute for Ismaeli Studies based in London, which attempts to examine the esoteric and gnostic tradition within the theological and religious heritage of Islam. The book is divided into two parts splitting up the tradition with the death of Averroes. The first section of the book is devoted to showing the uniqueness of the Quran as the primary study tool for Islamic philosophers. Indeed, interpretation of the Quran, and mystical interpretation of the hadith or tradition, plays an essential role in the understanding of Islamic mysticism. For Muslims, there is no Magisterium (teaching authority) as there is for Christians residing in the Church. Thus, interpretation of the Quran is subject to various rules and methods for doing so. The author next includes sections dealing with Shiism and the Prophetic Philosophy (which involves interpretation of the Twelver Imams, gnosis, and Ismaelism), Sunni philosophy, Philosophy and the Natural Sciences (including mention of alchemy, astrology, and hermeticism), Hellenizing philosophers (including Al-Farabi, Avicenna, and al-Ghazali - all of whom imported Plato and Aristotle to Islamic monotheism), the unique tradition of Sufism, a special section dealing with Al-Suhrawardi and the Philosophy of Light and his Illumination, and a section dealing with Andulasia ending with Averroes. Throughout this discussion of the various traditions within Islam we see the influence of gnosticism as well as of the other Abrahamic religions and "peoples of the Book" (Jews, Christians, and Muslims), and the influence of Zoroastrianism (with its dualistic worldview), as well as the influence of even Hinduism and Buddhism to a lesser extent. The book concludes with the modern period after the death of Averroes of Islamic philosophy including reference to Sunnis, Sufis, and Shiites. Indeed, for the author Shiism and Sufism seem to play an especial role in his understanding of the uniqueness of Islamic philosophy. In sum, this book offers a very good introduction to Islamic philosophy and its history from an esotericist's perspective. Metaphysics is too often cast aside in the West; however, by importing the rich metaphysical traditions from the East which often include original Greek elements, such as the Islamic tradition, a proper restoration of this ancient philosophical discipline can be attained. If you are interested in Islamic mysticism and metaphysics in particular you might want to also consult the works of Seyyed Hossein Nasr as well as anything issuing from the Traditionalist School (originally founded by such individuals as Rene Guenon and Frithjof Schuon).

A very informative and easy to read book. Author does a good job intoducing his readers to a wide range of thinkers in the Islamic world. Recommend it as a text book for serious students of religion and philosophy.

This is an excellent sourcebook for serious study of Islamic Philosophy.

This is by far the best work of its kind. If you aren't familiar with Henry Corbin, start with some of his other, more popular works, and then come back to this. It's key to understanding the scope of this book.

Henry Corbin comes from the Traditionalist School (along with Frithjof Schuon, Martin Lings, Huston Smith, René Guénon, Seyyed Hossein Nasr , et al) and this influences his perspective. This is not a negative thing as it does help in presenting an "alternative" Islam that is beautiful, profound and filled with wisdom, a far cry from the Islam portrayed in more "popular" media today. He has found that the esoteric (batin) Islam, especially as manifest in Shi'ite and, in particular, Isma'ili Shi'ite Islam continues a long line of "gnostic" truth that gets lost in the more orthodox, exoteric approach to faith. This colors his emphasis and is key to accepting this book as it it.

Respecting this, the book takes you on an in-depth journey through Islamic (not Arabic) philosophy. Philosophy and Islam? Yes, it does have a history in Islam and yes, it continues to exist. Islam is not a monolith and there are more alternatives to it than the legalistic and/or Rumi versions so popularized in the mainstream. It has been through many schools and many variations as it made its way across the globe, colored, as it is by influences, both theological and cultural. Corbin tackles this broad subject brilliantly.

There are other "historical" books on philosophy in Islam and these may be beneficial in providing a more "traditional" view of the subject but Corbin presents an Islam worthy of study. While it may not be your imam's Islam it may just be the Islam of the Imam of your own being.

Highest recommendation.

If you don't want to pay a crazy price for the book do a search for amiscorbin and look under textes (I'd put the actual site but *()@#&% amazon keeps deleting the *(&*((@) address...).

You can find parts 1 and 2 gratis along with Cyclical Time and Ismaili Gnosis.

I like to find its English Translation for my children. It makes the Shi'e and people of shi'e background proud of their heritage.
I recomend to ad this book( when it is reprinted)
in Iranian Internet sites and publications.

By reading this book one would think that most of the first class thinkers in Islamic world were either Iranian or Shia. I wonder if the author was paid by someone in that region to write this book.