“Philosophy in the lands of Islam is a history of meetings: Greek philosophy with Islamic themes; Syriac and Greek with Arabic; theological-philosophical traditions interlaced in such a way that any history of Medieval philosophy that tries to follow the single thread of Christian Latin philosophy, as is often the case, will be truncated and incomplete.”
—Excerpt from Open to Reason
In this brief volume, Souleymane Bachir Diagne, a professor at Columbia University, surveys how the greatest thinkers of the Islamic world, from the classical period to modern times, have examined and engaged with ideas. A focus on the ever-evolving relationship between philosophy and religion emerges as Diagne considers how the Qur’an itself calls its readers to reflect on its words and their meaning. He also delves into some of the many diverse viewpoints among Islamic scholars debating how philosophy coheres within religion. Some thinkers such as the 12th-century Islamic legal scholar Abu Hamid al-Ghazali viewed philosophy as potentially leading to pluralism and, ultimately, a renunciation of faith. Meanwhile others like Andalusi philosopher A
(also known as Averroes) considered reflections on divine speech a religious duty. Ultimately, Diagne concludes that philosophy is not something “quintessentially Western” but rather an aspect of every human culture.