THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY IN ISLAM [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

THE
HISTORY OF
PHILOSOPHY

IN
ISLAM

By


DR. T. J. DE BOER

Translated
by

EDWARD
R. JONES, B.D.

©
ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY ONLINE, INC.

NEW YORK

TRANSLATOR''''S
PREFATORY NOTE.

This
edition of Dr. De Boar''''s recent work is produced in the hope that it may prove
interesting to not a few English readers, and especially that it may be of
service to younger students commencing to study the subject which is dealt with
in the following pages. The translator has aimed at nothing more than a faithful
reproduction of the original. His best thanks are due to the accomplished
author, for his kindness in revising the proof sheets of the version, as it
passed through the Press.

E. R.
J.

PREFACE.

The
following is the first attempt which has been made, since the appearance of
Munk''''s excellent sketch[1], to
present in connected form a History of Philosophy in Islam. This work of mine
may therefore be regarded as a fresh initiation, -.not a
completion of such a task. I could not know of all that had been done by others,
in the way of preliminary study in this field ; and when I did know of the
existence of such material, it was not always accessible to me. As for
manuscript assistance, it was only in exceptional cases that this was at my
disposal.

Conforming
to the conditions which I bad to meet, I have in the following account refrained
from stating my authorities. But anything which I may have taken over, nearly
word for word or without testing it, I have marked in foot-references. For the
rest, I deeply regret that I cannot duly indicate at present how much I owe, as
regards appreciation of the sources, to men like Dieterici, de Goeje, Goldziher,
Houtsma, Aug. Müller, Munk, Nöldeke, Renan, Snouck Hurgronje, van Vloten, and
many, many others.

Since
the completion of this volume an interesting mo­nograph on Ibn Sina[2] has
appeared, which farther extends its survey over the earlier history of
Philosophy in Islam. It gives rise to no occasion, however, to alter
substantially my conception of the subject.

For
all bibliographical details I refer the reader to "die Orientalische
Bibliographie", Brockelmann''''s "Geschichte der Arabischen Litteratur", and
Ueberweg-Heinze''''s "Grundriss der Geschichte der Philosophie" II'''', p. 213
sqq.
In
the transcription of Arabic names I have been more heedful of tradition and
German pronunciation, than of consistency. Be it noted only that z is to be
pronounced as a soft s,
and
th like the corresponding English
sound.[3] In
the Index of Personal Names, accents signify length.

As
far as possible I have confined myself to Islam. On that ground Ibn Gebirol and
Maimonides have received only a passing notice, while other Jewish thinkers have
been entirely omitted, although, philosophically considered, they belong to the
Muslim school. This, however, entails no great loss, for much has been written
already about the Jewish philosophers, whereas Muslim thinkers have hitherto
been sadly neglected.

Groningen
(Netherlands).

T.
J. DE
BOER.