Al-Ghazali was a famous Islamic-Persian polymath and philosopher of the early medieval era. He wrote a variety of texts but one of his most famous was the Alchemy of Happiness. Islam understands man in through a teleological anthropology: That is, humanity has an end and that end is happiness which comes about by self-knowledge, knowledge of … Continue reading Al-Ghazali and the Alchemy of Happiness
Islam
Avicenna on Love and the Foundations of Life
Avicenna is one of the most important Islamic philosophers of all time. He is also the most famous of the Islamic Neoplatonists. He is, like Augustine to the Christian tradition, sometimes considered the “philosopher of love” because of the importance of love in his thought. We will unpack the basic philosophy of love from his … Continue reading Avicenna on Love and the Foundations of Life
The Tragedy of Civilization: Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah
Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah is the “introduction” to his seven-volume history of the Arab and Berber people, and history of the world (up to his time and from what he knew of the world via sources and travelling). The Kitab Al-‘Ibar is the full text name, but it is his lengthy introduction (the Muqaddimah) that is … Continue reading The Tragedy of Civilization: Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah
