The Essential Ideas of Islamic Philosophy:
A Brief Survey,
The Edwin Mellen Press, 2006, ISBN: 0-7734-5848-4, HC, 345 pp.
“This book fills a real need, for there has been no compact and readily accessible account of the ideas of these important thinkers that gives convenient access to their principal ideas and arguments – often in their own words ...”
Professor
Nicholas Rescher, University of Pittsburgh
The Essential Ideas of Islamic Philosophy is a
treasure-trove for the students looking for an introduction to
Islamic Philosophy.
While the texts presented
here are challenging, Professor Al-Allaf leads the reader
through the difficult but rewarding arguments at the heart of
this fascinating material. His approach is to provide two
versions of the problem presented: one in the words of the
philosopher and the other his own paraphrase and clarification
designed to lay bare the structure of the argument. This
approach continually holds the reader’s interest.
The author demonstrates
not only the centrality of belief in the Qur’an, but also the
importance of Aristotle and the commentators of Aristotle to
understanding these texts. This is an impressive book.
Dr.
Jerome Schiller, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Washington
University
The
Essential Ideas of Islamic Philosophy
represents an outstanding and readable introduction to
Islamic philosophy. Written in easy to understand
English this book provides an authentic account of the
most influential Muslim philosophers. The author
manages to cover the key concepts of a millennium worth
of intellectual thought in a concise fashion. This book
is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students of
philosophy and Islamic studies, as well as for anyone
interested in the evolution of Islamic philosophy.
Unlike the many
western approaches to Islamic thought, Professor Al-Allaf
approaches Islamic philosophy from a distinctly Islamic
paradigm. He is, however, cognizant of western thought
and provides in table form useful comparisons between,
for example, Farabi and Aquinas, Ghazali and Descartes.
He provides his own thesis that the decay of
civilization results in a more than a decline in
philosophy and not visa versa. Utilizing charts and
diagrams this book, unlike any other, makes difficult
concepts in Islamic philosophy easy to comprehend.
Dr. Macksood Aftab, Executive Editor, Journal of Islamic Philosophy, Harvard University, Clinical Associate, Tufts University School of Medicine
