Averroes Long Commentary on the Metaphysics

Greek into Arabic.
Even before the rise of Islam, a multi-secular tradition of learning had already accomplished in Syria the transition “from antagonism to assimilation” of the Greek philosophical culture, especially but not exclusively Aristotelian. Later on, many Greek scientific and philosophical works were translated into Arabic. This activity resulted in the incorporation and reorganization of the classical heritage in the new Islamic civilization that spread with Arabic language. Already in Damascus, under the Umayyads, some philosophical writings had been translated into Arabic; however, the main centre of the translations was the ‘Abbasid Baghdad. The Christian physician and scientist Hunayn ibn Ishaq (d. 873), his son Ishaq ibn Hunayn (d. 911) are the most prominent translators. However, a decisive step in the formation of the philosophical thought of the Muslim world had been made before them: the translation of Aristotle's Metaphysics together with the Neoplatonist metaphysics of Plotinus and Proclus. Thus, the Aristotelian science as a systematic whole ruled by demonstration crowned by the Neoplatonic metaphysics paved the way for philosophers like al-Farabi, Avicenna, and then Averroes, in the Muslim West.

This is the field of research that must be explored, in order to get a complete picture of the process of the transmission of learning and culture from past to present times.

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Greek into Arabic. Even before the rise of Islam, a multi-secular tradition of learning had already accomplished in Syria the transition “from antagonism to assimilation” of the Greek philosophical culture, especially but not exclusively Aristotelian. Later on, many Greek scientific and philosophical works were translated into Arabic. This activity resulted in the incorporation and reorganization of the classical heritage in the new Islamic civilization that spread with Arabic language. Already in Damascus, under the Umayyads, some philosophical writings had been translated into Arabic; however, the main centre of the translations was the ‘Abbasid Baghdad. The Christian physician and scientist Hunayn ibn Ishaq (d. 873), his son Ishaq ibn Hunayn (d. 911) are the most prominent translators. However, a decisive step in the formation of the philosophical thought of the Muslim world had been made before them: the translation of Aristotle's Metaphysics together with the Neoplatonist metaphysics of Plotinus and Proclus. Thus, the Aristotelian science as a systematic whole ruled by demonstration crowned by the Neoplatonic metaphysics paved the way for philosophers like al-Farabi, Avicenna, and then Averroes, in the Muslim West. This is the field of research that must be explored, in order to get a complete picture of the process of the transmission of learning and culture from past to present times.

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Averroes Long Commentary on the Metaphysics

Averroes Long Commentary on the Metaphysics