Islamic Philosophy

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Islamic philosophy examines questions about existence, knowledge, ethics, and the relationship between God and the world.

What is Islamic philosophy?

- "Islamic philosophy is philosophy that emerges from the Islamic tradition."

What are the two terms used in the Islamic world to refer to philosophy?

- "Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy—falsafa (lit. 'philosophy')..."

Besides philosophy, what other fields do these terms encompass?

- "...which refers to philosophy as well as logic, mathematics, and physics."

What is Kalam?

- "Kalam (lit. 'speech') refers to a rationalist form of Scholastic Islamic theology..."

What are some examples of schools of Kalam?

- "...which includes the schools of Maturidiyah, Ashaira, and Mu'tazila."

When did early Islamic philosophy begin and end?

- "Early Islamic philosophy began with Al-Kindi in the 2nd century of the Islamic calendar (early 9th century CE) and ended with Ibn-Rushd (Averroes) in the 6th century AH (late 12th century CE)..."

What is the Golden Age of Islam?

- "...broadly coinciding with the period known as the Golden Age of Islam."

Who marked the end of the Peripatetic Islamic school of philosophy?

- "The death of Averroes effectively marked the end of a particular discipline of Islamic philosophy usually called the Peripatetic Islamic school..."

In which regions did Islamic philosophy persist for a longer period?

- "...Islamic philosophy persisted for much longer in Muslim Eastern countries, in particular Safavid Persia, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires..."

Name some schools of philosophy that flourished in these regions.

- "...where several schools of philosophy continued to flourish: Avicennism, Averroism, Illuminationist philosophy, Mystical philosophy, Transcendent theosophy, and Isfahan philosophy."

What contributions did Ibn Khaldun make?

- "Ibn Khaldun, in his Muqaddimah, made important contributions to the philosophy of history."

When did interest in Islamic philosophy revive?

- "Interest in Islamic philosophy revived during the Nahda ('Awakening') movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries..."

Is Islamic philosophy still relevant today?

- "...and continues to the present day."

What impact did Islamic philosophy have in Christian Europe?

- "Islamic philosophy had a major impact in Christian Europe..."

What was the result of translating Arabic philosophical texts into Latin?

- "...translation of Arabic philosophical texts into Latin 'led to the transformation of almost all philosophical disciplines in the medieval Latin world'..."

In which specific fields of philosophy did Muslim philosophers have a strong influence?

- "...with a particularly strong influence of Muslim philosophers being felt in natural philosophy, psychology, and metaphysics."

What countries in the Western Islamic world saw a decline in philosophical activity?

- "Philosophical activity declined significantly in Western Islamic countries such as Islamic Iberia and North Africa."

What are the two main branches of Islamic philosophy mentioned in the text?

- "Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy—falsafa (lit. 'philosophy')..."

What are some examples of philosophical disciplines influenced by Islamic philosophy?

- "...with a particularly strong influence of Muslim philosophers being felt in natural philosophy, psychology, and metaphysics."

What was the impact of Islamic philosophy on the medieval Latin world?

- "...translation of Arabic philosophical texts into Latin 'led to the transformation of almost all philosophical disciplines in the medieval Latin world'..."