A History of Islamic Philosophy [Hardcover]

Majid Fakhry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2004

The first comprehensive survey of Islamic philosophy from the seventh century to the present, this classic discusses Islamic thought and its effect on the cultural aspects of Muslim life. Fakhry shows how Islamic philosophy has followed from the earliest times a distinctive line of development, which gives it the unity and continuity that are the marks of the great intellectual movements of history.

(Fall 2006)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fakhry's scholarship is meticulous, and his style, even when handling the most complex ideas, remains simple and straightforward.

(American Journal of Islamic Sciences )

About the Author

Majid Fakhry is professor emeritus of philosophy at the American University of Beirut and adjunct professor at Georgetown University. He is the author of several books, including Averroes: His Life, Works, and Influence; Islamic Philosophy, Theology, and Mysticism; Ethical Theories in Islam; Al-Farabi, Founder of Islamic Neoplatonism; and Philosophy, Dogma, and the Impact of Greek Thought on Islam, in addition to fifteen titles in Arabic. He has recently published a translation of the Qur'an entitled An Interpretation of the Qur'an: A Bilingual Edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 472 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press; Third Edition edition (October 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231132204
• ISBN-13: 978-0231132206
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,391,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Introduction I've Found, June 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of Islamic Philosophy (Studies in Oriental Culture) (Paperback)

This is the best book I have seen on the subject, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Islamic philosophy or Islamic cultural history. The reason for its success is that it not only covers the individual thinkers and their philosophical movements, it also places them in their historical and cultural contexts, spending a considerable amount of time tracing the sociology of ideas in the Middle East. Here's the contents:

1. The Legacy of Greece, Alexandria and the Orient 2. The Early Political and Religious Tensions 3. Beginnings of Systematic Philosophical Writing in the Ninth Century. 4. The Further Development of Islamic Neo-Platonism. 5. Neo-Pythagoreanism and the Popularization of the Philosophical Sciences 6. The Diffusion of Philosophical Culture in the 10th Century 7. Interaction of Philosophy and Dogma 8. Rise and Development of Islamic Mysticism 9. Arab-Spanish Interlude and the Revival of Peripateticism 10. Post-Avicennian Developmets 11. Theological Reaction and Reconstruction 12. Modern and Contemporary Trends

As you can tell from the contents, Fakhry focuses mostly on the famous medeival philosophers, but he situates them within the context of the political and religious movements in Islamic history. He does not spend much time on newer Islamic thinkers, but when he does it is done well. I would recommend this book over Oliver Leaman's introduction to Islamic philosophy. That book is a good, quick read, but it merely scratches the surface of a difficult subject.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thorough without being overwhelming, March 16, 1999

By 

Marc Osborne (Miami, FL, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Islamic Philosophy (Studies in Oriental Culture) (Paperback)

Best for those with a good grounding in Greek philosophy and little knowledge of Islamic. At times it gets lost in the minutiae of an argument, but overall a good overview.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I agree with "Customer", January 11, 2008

By 

M. Qualey "MLQ" (St. Paul, MN, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of Islamic Philosophy (Paperback)

Although I do think that Fakhry gets a little out of hand with his "always" and "never" and "the last Islamic philosopher to X" statements, it is generally a sober and well conceived introduction to Islamic philosophy, if not very spicily written.