Volume 3, Issue 1 (2023)
jpt 2023, 3(1): 47-57 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Ahmadizade H. The Problem of Emanation in Farabi; From Aristotelian- to Independent Works. jpt 2023; 3 (1) :47-57
URL: http://jpt.modares.ac.ir/article-34-65541-en.html
URL: http://jpt.modares.ac.ir/article-34-65541-en.html
Department of Religions & Philosophy, Faculty of Literature & Foreign Languages, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran
Full-Text [PDF 934 kb]
(1774 Downloads)
| Abstract (HTML) (1516 Views)
Full-Text: (61 Views)
Introduction
Abu Nasr Muhammad Al-Farabi, known in the West as Alpharabius, was one of the great Islamic thinkers. Al-Farabi's philosophical and scientific works in different areas, especially his commentaries on Plato and Aristotle, led him to become famous as a Second Teacher. Through these works, we can achieve the principles that are foundations for other works in theoretical and practical wisdom. Of course, some of his books are unavailable to us, and researchers of Al-Farabi's thoughts sometimes have problems. One of the main issues for them is the differences between Al-Farabi's philosophical thoughts and his thoughts that are under the influence of Aristotle [Farabi, 1974: 101-105]. This problem is due to Al-Farabi, in some metaphysical works, having no references to Plato or Aristotle's works. For example, in Al-Jam Bayna Raye Al-Hakimayn, he tries to bring up the philosophy of Plato in a special context. Still, in this work, he does not refer to any new platonic metaphysical interpretations of Plato [Kiankhah, 2014: 149]. In the present article, we want to survey one of Islamic philosophy's main subjects, namely the emanation (Fayz) problem in Al-Farabi's works. We try to achieve his own thoughts on this problem and differentiate them from his Aristotelian thoughts on the problem of emanation.
Al-Farabi's Aristotelian works
One of Al-Farabi's Aristotelian works is Aghraze ma bad Al-Tabiat. In this book, he tries to explain the main metaphysical subjects in Aristotle's thought, like God, soul, and intellect. Of course, Al-Farabi, in this book, does not want to explain some theological context. He says that for Aristotle, metaphysics is a universal science and does not relate to a special being. Theology is also one of the subjects that we can explain in metaphysics. In Aghraze, Al-Farabi explains the being in Aristotle's Metaphysics and says that in the book lambda, Aristotle noticed the problem of emanation (Fayz). In Lambda, Aristotle describes the first foundation and cause for all beings and how they existed from its emanation.
The Philosophy of Aristotle is also one of Aristotelian Al-Farabi's works. This book is not independent but is a section of three books that Al-Farabi began to write by writing the Tahsil Al-Saadat. Of course, he did not write this book only to explain Aristotle's metaphysical ideas. Al-Farabi says that there are beings beyond material beings, and these beings should be surveyed by a special method different from natural methods [Mahdi, 1969: 5]. In his view, this supernatural method should notice the problem of emanation.
Al-Jam bayna Raye Al-Hakimayn also is somehow an Aristotelian Al-Farabi book. This important text surveys many metaphysical issues in Plato and Aristotle and tries to show that Intellect is the end of the Soul and the Soul is the end of nature [Farabi, 1974: 60]. In his view, this end in both Intellect and Soul should be understood as emanation. Al-Farabi's attitude in this book is that in metaphysical issues, there are no differences between Plato and Aristotle.
Al-Farabi's own works
In this section, we want to note some of Al-Farabi's works that he does not claim to explain, only Aristotle's ideas. One of these texts is Ehsa Al-Olum. In this book, he describes the Aristotelian classification for different sciences. In his view, theology includes three subjects: being a being, roots of deduction in secondary sciences, and surveys of immaterial beings [Farabi, 2002: 94]. These immaterial beings have their foundations in a being beyond the martial word. Al-Farabi, in this book, surveys these metaphysical subjects more than Aristotle in his metaphysical writings and also relates these issues to the problem of emanation. Here, he notices that the most important subject in metaphysics is the problem of emanation (Fayz), and in his view, this problem can be proved logically and philosophically. Maybe for this reason, in Al-Farabi's view, all the metaphysics is theology.
The second book of Al-Farabi that we survey in this section is Al-Horuf. This book is somehow longer and more detailed than his other metaphysical texts. Of course, this text is more linguistic but is a Farabian work. Here, Al-Farabi tries to show that metaphysics is a science with a special and different language. So, we cannot explain subjects like the problem of emanation by the language of other sciences [Farabi, 1408: 91].
Another Al-Farabi's text is Tahsil Al-Saadat. In this book, he also surveys the different metaphysical subjects and says that in this science, which means metaphysics, we should seek fundamental principles for all beings. In his view, metaphysics is very strongly related to the problem of emanation, so we should understand metaphysics in accordance with this problem. In this respect, metaphysics is joined with theology or the science of God [Farabi, 1995: 91]. So we can say that in the texts in which Al-Farabi explains his views on metaphysical issues, his doctrines include the problem of emanation and God's relation to the material and corporal world. Al-Farabi's attitude to the problem of emanation is contained in many of his books, from moral books to philosophical and also logical ones.
Conclusion
According to what we said in this article, where Al-Farabi approaches himself to Aristotle's views, he claims that metaphysics is a universal science, so the problem of emanation is one of the sections of this science. However, in Al-Farabi's view, Aristotle did not explain this problem theologically. So, in the texts that Al-Farabi somehow gets away from Aristotle, he claims that he explains the problem of emanation very brightly and more accurately from Aristotle's metaphysical texts. In addition, Al-Farabi, by this problem, can explain and understand some other metaphysical problems that in Aristotle's writings are not explained very brightly. Of course, Al-Farabi, in many subjects, is affected by the Aristotelian approach to metaphysics. Still, in some theological subjects, like the problem of emanation, he tries to explain his view according to his own traditional context.
Abu Nasr Muhammad Al-Farabi, known in the West as Alpharabius, was one of the great Islamic thinkers. Al-Farabi's philosophical and scientific works in different areas, especially his commentaries on Plato and Aristotle, led him to become famous as a Second Teacher. Through these works, we can achieve the principles that are foundations for other works in theoretical and practical wisdom. Of course, some of his books are unavailable to us, and researchers of Al-Farabi's thoughts sometimes have problems. One of the main issues for them is the differences between Al-Farabi's philosophical thoughts and his thoughts that are under the influence of Aristotle [Farabi, 1974: 101-105]. This problem is due to Al-Farabi, in some metaphysical works, having no references to Plato or Aristotle's works. For example, in Al-Jam Bayna Raye Al-Hakimayn, he tries to bring up the philosophy of Plato in a special context. Still, in this work, he does not refer to any new platonic metaphysical interpretations of Plato [Kiankhah, 2014: 149]. In the present article, we want to survey one of Islamic philosophy's main subjects, namely the emanation (Fayz) problem in Al-Farabi's works. We try to achieve his own thoughts on this problem and differentiate them from his Aristotelian thoughts on the problem of emanation.
Al-Farabi's Aristotelian works
One of Al-Farabi's Aristotelian works is Aghraze ma bad Al-Tabiat. In this book, he tries to explain the main metaphysical subjects in Aristotle's thought, like God, soul, and intellect. Of course, Al-Farabi, in this book, does not want to explain some theological context. He says that for Aristotle, metaphysics is a universal science and does not relate to a special being. Theology is also one of the subjects that we can explain in metaphysics. In Aghraze, Al-Farabi explains the being in Aristotle's Metaphysics and says that in the book lambda, Aristotle noticed the problem of emanation (Fayz). In Lambda, Aristotle describes the first foundation and cause for all beings and how they existed from its emanation.
The Philosophy of Aristotle is also one of Aristotelian Al-Farabi's works. This book is not independent but is a section of three books that Al-Farabi began to write by writing the Tahsil Al-Saadat. Of course, he did not write this book only to explain Aristotle's metaphysical ideas. Al-Farabi says that there are beings beyond material beings, and these beings should be surveyed by a special method different from natural methods [Mahdi, 1969: 5]. In his view, this supernatural method should notice the problem of emanation.
Al-Jam bayna Raye Al-Hakimayn also is somehow an Aristotelian Al-Farabi book. This important text surveys many metaphysical issues in Plato and Aristotle and tries to show that Intellect is the end of the Soul and the Soul is the end of nature [Farabi, 1974: 60]. In his view, this end in both Intellect and Soul should be understood as emanation. Al-Farabi's attitude in this book is that in metaphysical issues, there are no differences between Plato and Aristotle.
Al-Farabi's own works
In this section, we want to note some of Al-Farabi's works that he does not claim to explain, only Aristotle's ideas. One of these texts is Ehsa Al-Olum. In this book, he describes the Aristotelian classification for different sciences. In his view, theology includes three subjects: being a being, roots of deduction in secondary sciences, and surveys of immaterial beings [Farabi, 2002: 94]. These immaterial beings have their foundations in a being beyond the martial word. Al-Farabi, in this book, surveys these metaphysical subjects more than Aristotle in his metaphysical writings and also relates these issues to the problem of emanation. Here, he notices that the most important subject in metaphysics is the problem of emanation (Fayz), and in his view, this problem can be proved logically and philosophically. Maybe for this reason, in Al-Farabi's view, all the metaphysics is theology.
The second book of Al-Farabi that we survey in this section is Al-Horuf. This book is somehow longer and more detailed than his other metaphysical texts. Of course, this text is more linguistic but is a Farabian work. Here, Al-Farabi tries to show that metaphysics is a science with a special and different language. So, we cannot explain subjects like the problem of emanation by the language of other sciences [Farabi, 1408: 91].
Another Al-Farabi's text is Tahsil Al-Saadat. In this book, he also surveys the different metaphysical subjects and says that in this science, which means metaphysics, we should seek fundamental principles for all beings. In his view, metaphysics is very strongly related to the problem of emanation, so we should understand metaphysics in accordance with this problem. In this respect, metaphysics is joined with theology or the science of God [Farabi, 1995: 91]. So we can say that in the texts in which Al-Farabi explains his views on metaphysical issues, his doctrines include the problem of emanation and God's relation to the material and corporal world. Al-Farabi's attitude to the problem of emanation is contained in many of his books, from moral books to philosophical and also logical ones.
Conclusion
According to what we said in this article, where Al-Farabi approaches himself to Aristotle's views, he claims that metaphysics is a universal science, so the problem of emanation is one of the sections of this science. However, in Al-Farabi's view, Aristotle did not explain this problem theologically. So, in the texts that Al-Farabi somehow gets away from Aristotle, he claims that he explains the problem of emanation very brightly and more accurately from Aristotle's metaphysical texts. In addition, Al-Farabi, by this problem, can explain and understand some other metaphysical problems that in Aristotle's writings are not explained very brightly. Of course, Al-Farabi, in many subjects, is affected by the Aristotelian approach to metaphysics. Still, in some theological subjects, like the problem of emanation, he tries to explain his view according to his own traditional context.
Article Type: Original Research |
Subject:
Metaphysics (Islamic)
Received: 2022/11/20 | Accepted: 2023/02/10 | Published: 2023/03/10
Received: 2022/11/20 | Accepted: 2023/02/10 | Published: 2023/03/10
References
1. Avicenna (1992). AL-MOBAHESAT. Bidarfar M, editor. Qom: Biddar Publication. [Persian] [Link]
2. Al-Farabi (1969). Philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Muhsin M, translator. New York: Cornell University Press. [Link]
3. Farabi (1974). The harmony of the thoughts of the two philosophers: Plato and Aristotle. Meshkatoddini A, translator. Tehran: Zar Publication. [Persian] [Link]
4. Farabi (1988). AL-MANTEGHIYYAT LE AL-FARABI (Volume 1). Daneshpajooh MT, editor. Qom: Ayatollah Marashi Najafi Publication. [Arabic] [Link]
5. Farabi (1995). TAHSIL AL-SAADAT. Bo Lahm A, editor. Beirut: Dar Al-Maktaba Al-Helal. [Arabic] [Link]
6. Farabi (2002). EHSA AL-OLOOM. Khadivjam H, translator. Tehran: Elmi va Farhangi Publication. [Persian] [Link]
7. Fazlur R (1958). Prophecy in Islam: Philosophy and Orthodoxy. London: George Allen and Unwin. [Link]
8. Kiankhah L (2014). A research on and a critical edition of "the goals of Metaphysics". Sophia Perennis. 11(26):119-157. [Persian] [Link]
9. Lameer J (1994). Al-Farabi and Aristotelian syllogistics: Greek theory and islamic practice (Islamic philosophy, theology, and science). New York: Brill Academic Pub. [Link] [DOI:10.1163/9789004451933]
10. Mahdavi Y (1954). List of copies of Ibn Sina's works. Tehran: Safirardehal Publication. [Persian] [Link]
11. Molla Sadra (1962). ARSHIYE. Ahani GH, editor. Isfahan: Faculty of Literature and Humanity. [Arabic] [Link]
12. Poorhasan G (2018). A new reading of Farabi's philosophy: A fundamental epistemological break from the Greek tradition. Tehran: Naghde Farhang Publication. [Persian] [Link]
13. Therese-Anne D (1992). Neoplatonism and Islamic thought. Morewedge P, editor. New York: State University of New York Press. [Link]
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |