Mohammedan Culture B

(Originally written July 25, 2006 in Book 5)

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell

Chapter X - Mohammedan Culture

The Muslim Empire gradually split into four main factions:
1) Spain
2) Persia
3) N. Africa
4) Egypt

All these four were basically independent of one another.

The Arabs preferred Aristotle to Plato, but it was a sort of Platonic Aristotle.

Al-Kindi (died ca. 873) was the first philosopher to write in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi translated Indian Sanskrit astronomy and mathematical books into Arabic around 830. It was translated into Latin in the 11th century along with an algebra book he wrote. This is when the West learned Arabic numerals. (But since the Arabians adopted them from India they ought to have been labeled Indian numerals).

Omar Ahayyám reformed the calendar in 1079. He was a Persian poet and mathematician. The Persians were great poets.

Firdowsi (941) wrote Shahlnama and is said to be an equal of Homer.

Persians were also superior mystics to the rest of the Mohammedans. The Sufi sect (still existent) came from Persian mystic interpretation of the Koran in a mystical, Neoplatonic way.

Greek influenced entered the Muslim world through the Syrain Nestorians. The Nestorians only valued Aristotle for his logic.

Arabic philosophers placed logic as the highest point and importance, but gradually accepted Aristotelian metaphysics.

Arabic philosophers were primarily concerned with:
1) Alchemy
2) Astrology
3) Astronomy
4) Zoology

Philosophers were looked on suspiciously by the bigoted public Arabs.

Avicenna (Ibn Sina) lived from 980 -1037 and traveled extensively, finally settling in Tehran. He taught philosophy and medicine. His medicine techniques were used widespread in Europe from the 12th - 17th century. He was not a saint, easily entrapped by wine and women. He was not favored in the East because of the Orthodoxy but the West admired him and his work. His psychology was empirical of a sort. His philosophy was closer to Aristotle and less Platonic than his Muslim predecessors.

He was concerned with the problem of universals. He believed that universals were at the same time:
1) before things
2) in things
3) after things

They are before in God's understanding. They are in things when particulars exist. They are after things in the thoughts of man.

Averroes (Ibn Rushd) lived from 1126-1198. He was born in Cordova, Spain. he was a Cadi in Seville and then in Cordova. He studied theology, jurisprudence, medicine, mathematics and philosophy (in that order). He practiced medicine for the Spanish ruler but was exiled by the ruler's son for "cultivating the philosophy of the ancients at the expense of the true faith" (Russell, 425). He was exiled to Morocco.

The books of logic and metaphysics were burnt because the Orthodox Muslims believed that God damned men for believing truth could be found through undirected reason.

After the death of Averroes the Moorish territory in Spain was diminished by Christian conquests.

Aver roes sought to purge the Arabic understanding of Aristotle of the Neoplatonic influence. He believed that the existence of God could be proved without divine revelation.

Like most Mohammedan philosophers, Averroes was a believer, but not Orthodox.

A sect of completely orthodox theologians condemned all philosophical thought outright. Algazel pointed out that all Truth necessary was to be found in the Koran, so speculation was unnecessary.

Averroes believed religion was a wealth of philosophical truth displayed in allegorical form.

Averroes is more important in Christian philosophy than in Islamic.

Despite writing in the 12th century, he was surprisingly translated into Latin in the 13th century, very quick for that age.

Arabic philosophy was not original; philosophers were more like commentators.

Between ancient Europe and Modern Europe the Dark Ages virtually killed intellectualism in Europe. The Byzantines and Arabs, while not innovators, preserved the ancient philosophy and learning which served as the foundation for modern thought.

The integration of Arabic thought into Europe produced scholasticism in the 13th century. The integration of Byzantine thought (and other causes) produced the Renaissance in the 15th century.

The Jews served as a go between between the Christians and the Spanish Moors. Knowing both Arabic and Latin, they supplied translations.

The Spanish Jews produced one important philosopher: Maimonides. Maimonides was born in Cordova in 1135. He went to Cairo in 1165 and lived out his life there. He wrote in Arabic, which was immediately translated into Hebrew and translated into Latin a few decades after his death. He wrote a book called Guide to Wanderers which was a book for philosophers who lost their faith. The book reconciled Aristotelianism to Judaism. The Jews hated Maimonides and elicited the Christian ecclesiastics to stop him.