Philosophy in the Islamic World

The latest in the series based on the popular History of Philosophy podcast, this volume presents the first full history of philosophy in the Islamic world for a broad readership. It takes an approach unprecedented among introductions to this subject, by providing full coverage of Jewish and Christian thinkers as well as Muslims, and by taking the story of philosophy from its beginnings in the world of early Islam all the way through to the twentiethcentury. Major figures like Avicenna, Averroes, and Maimonides are covered in great detail, but the book also looks at less familiar thinkers, including women philosophers. Attention is also given to thephilosophical relevance of Islamic theology (kalam) and mysticism--the Sufi tradition within Islam, and Kabbalah among Jews--and to science, with chapters on disciplines like optics and astronomy. The book is divided into three sections, with the first looking at the first blossoming of Islamic theology and responses to the Greek philosophical tradition in the world of Arabic learning. This 'formative period' culminates with the work of Avicenna, the pivotal figure to whom most later thinkersfeel they must respond. The second part of the book discusses philosophy in Muslim Spain (Andalusia), where Jewish philosophers come to the fore, though this is also the setting for such thinkers asAverroes and Ibn Arabi. Finally, a third section looks in unusual detail at later developments, touching on philosophy in the Ottoman, Mughal, and Safavid empires and showing how thinkers in the nineteenth to the twentieth century were still concerned to respond to the ideas that had animated philosophy in the Islamic world for centuries, while also responding to political and intellectual challenges from the European colonial powers.

“"This is a well-written and interesting work ... the author deserves credit for engaging with such a complex subject and making it accessible to the public."--Muhammad Khan, The Muslim News "From the first volume onwards, a repeated refrain has been philosophers arguing that being a philosopher is the best choice in life. These books are so engaging, instructive and diverting it might almost make you believe that is true." -- Scotland on Sunday "As an introduction to philosophy in the Islamic world, the book is readable, relatively thorough, and provides a solid foundation for the topic."--Reading Religion "This big book has something of everything, extending to Kabbalah and Sufism, and all the way to contemporary Islamic thought...there is no doubt that Adamson is a relentlessly charming guide. Even experts will benefit from having this volume on a nearby shelf, in view of its comprehensiveness, and causal readers will benefit from its jargon-free prose and its useful supplemental features, such as maps and a list of further readings." --Oxford Studies in Medieval Philosophy”

Adamson gives a solid introduction to this encompassing history, which clearly will help students to acquire a serious first knowledge of this rich and complex history, but also often offers the advanced reader interesting insights. Jules Janssens, Tidschrift voor Filosofie
[Adamson's] account of philosophy in the Islamic world and the larger project of which it is a part establish a new paradigm for telling the story of philosophy. Carlos Fraenkel, Los Angeles Review of Books
This big book has something of everything, extending to Kabbalah and Sufism, and all the way to contemporary Islamic thought.... there is no doubt that Adamson is a relentlessly charming guide. Even experts will benefit from having this volume on a nearby shelf, in view of its comprehensiveness, and causal readers will benefit from its jargon-free prose and its useful supplemental features, such as maps and a list of further readings. Oxford Studies in Medieval Philosophy
This is a well-written and interesting work ... the author deserves credit for engaging with such a complex subject and making it accessible to the public Muhammad Khan, The Muslim News
From the first volume onwards, a repeated refrain has been philosophers arguing that being a philosopher is the best choice in life. These books are so engaging, instructive and diverting it might almost make you believe that is true. Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday
short, conversational chapters sparkling with new ideas, interpretations and a lively sense of humour. Adamson is so easy to learn, absorb and enjoy that all the info slips down with hardly a hiccup. Steve Craggs, Northern Echo
bite-sized, well-indexed chapters on key philosophers, movements, and developments which took place in the Islamic world. Daniel J. Levy, Jewish News
... there is little doubt that this is an achievement of a volume. It is very easy to recommend to students and friends who want to know something of the general story of philosophy in the world of Islam ... it replaces and improves on existing histories of Islamic philosophy. It is always tricky finding texts on philosophy as introductions to undergraduates. This fulfills that requirement extremely well. Sajjad Rizvi, Intellectual History of the Islamicate World

Peter Adamson took his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame and first worked at King's College London. In 2012 he moved to the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, where he is Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy. He has published widely in ancient and medieval philosophy, especially on Neoplatonism and on philosophy in the Islamic world.

The latest in the series based on the popular History of Philosophy podcast, this volume presents the first full history of philosophy in the Islamic world for a broad readership. It takes an approach unprecedented among introductions to this subject, by providing full coverage of Jewish and Christian thinkers as well as Muslims, and by taking the story of philosophy from its beginnings in the world of early Islam all the way through to the twentieth century. Major figures like Avicenna, Averroes, and Maimonides are covered in great detail, but the book also looks at less familiar thinkers, including women philosophers. Attention is also given to the philosophical relevance of Islamic theology (kalam) and mysticism--the Sufi tradition within Islam, and Kabbalah among Jews--and to science, with chapters on disciplines like optics and astronomy. The book is divided into three sections, with the first looking at the first blossoming of Islamic theology and responses to the Greek philosophical tradition in the world of Arabic learning. This 'formative period' culminates with the work of Avicenna, the pivotal figure to whom most later thinkers feel they must respond. The second part of the book discusses philosophy in Muslim Spain (Andalusia), where Jewish philosophers come to the fore, though this is also the setting for such thinkers as Averroes and Ibn Arabi. Finally, a third section looks in unusual detail at later developments, touching on philosophy in the Ottoman, Mughal, and Safavid empires and showing how thinkers in the nineteenth to the twentieth century were still concerned to respond to the ideas that had animated philosophy in the Islamic world for centuries, while also responding to political and intellectual challenges from the European colonial powers.

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