The fourth working group of the First International Congress on Farabi and Islamic Culture and Civilization: Science according to Farabi
| Post date: 2023/03/3 |
The second day, Thursday, March 2, 2023, 14:00 to 17:00
Board of Directors: Mohsen Rizvani, Najmeh Keikha, Cecilia Martini
The fourth working group of First International Congress on Farabi and Islamic Culture and Civilization was held at the Institute of Cultural and Social Studies on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
He added: "When we look at all the available sources such as Ibn Nadim's al-Fehrest (The Index), we realize that very briefly about Farabi's life, thoughts and ideas have been discussed. However, the title given by Mulla Sadra to him as the Second Teacher is thought-provoking and Seyed Hossein Nasr, in the years before the revolution, explained this topic in an article titled "Why was Farabi called the Second Teacher?".
According to Shojaei, Nasr's conclusion is that Farabi's classification of sciences, unlike those of other competing views such as Aristotle's, was suited to the life of the Islamic world and the doctrines of revelation and Shia. This is why he was regarded as a second teacher.
This faculty member from the Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies noted that until 2017, new sources had raised discussions about Farabi's geographical affiliations, with only one paragraph on this topic being mentioned in al-Fehrest. There are two dominant viewpoints in the reading of Islamic philosophy. The first suggests that Islamic philosophers did not actually exist, and that these figures were essentially commentators, or even neo-Platonists, and thus lacked precision. If this is the case, then Farabi would simply be viewed as a museum piece. The second viewpoint is that these philosophers covered all topics of human sciences, governance, lifestyle, and more. This view posits that Mulla Sadra and Farabi's traditions can be mined for insight into these topics. Consequently, Farabi's legacy could either be relegated to a museum or elevated to the level of a Harvard scholar.
The speaker went on to say that the Iranian academy rejects both of the aforementioned views. Instead, if we examine Farabi's legacy in the context of the humanities, we encounter an epistemological obstacle in the history of science: Eurocentricity or Hellenophilia. The article mentions Hellenophilia as a topic, and notes that even in the discourse of the history of science, the 1979 element is Hellenism. That is, if you subscribe to one of several false propositions, then you are subscribing to the discourse of Hellenism. One of these false propositions is that science was invented by the Greeks, and that the Greeks discovered the way to reach the truth and that true sciences also existed in Greece. If you believe in any of these three propositions, you are placing yourself within the discourse of Hellenophilia.
Dr. Shojaei continued, stating that according to Pingree, Plato's contemporaries ridiculed him because they did not believe in Greek miracles, and that the Germans invented the discourse of Hellenism. It is important to note that this discourse in Iran is also heavily influenced by Germany.
He explained that in his view, the greatest obstacle to understanding Farabi and his relationship with the humanities is Hellenophilia. This is because there is a prevalent belief that the humanities cannot be studied without a European perspective. It is noteworthy that even Marx claimed that Plato's Republic embodied the ideal form of the Egyptian class system. However, there has been a recent shift away from Eurocentrism in the study of science and history. In fact, a book on the history of people's science has recently been published, which features a non-European perspective.
Shojaei noted that according to Farabi's Ihsa al-Ulum, the basis for prioritizing sciences over each other in the classification of sciences is sought in order to determine which sciences are the best and most preferable, among other things. However, in Farabi's text, many of these promises are not fulfilled.
He added that Farabi does not adhere to the teachings of the First Teacher, and as such, he should be considered as a separate teacher altogether. In this regard, Farabi fails to achieve his objective of prioritizing science in his work, Ihsa al-Ulum. It should be noted that Ihsa al-Ulum is a study guide designed for students, and therefore, it may not be the most practical book for studying the history of science.
The faculty member from the Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies emphasized that Ihsa al-Ulum is an invitation to rethink our civilization and its relationship with the organization of sciences. Specifically, it prompts us to consider whether our narrative of utopia aligns with our scientific pursuits. However, he noted that many fields within universities have nothing to do with Ihsa al-Ulum or the reevaluation of our sciences.
He clarified that the Islamic world and Iran's philosophical thought is primarily categorized into three streams: the first being the Peripatetic school, which is represented by Farabi, Avicenna in Iran, and Averroes in Spain. He specifically focuses on this stream and has no involvement with the other two currents in Iran, namely Illuminationism and Sadraism.
He discussed the historical and social contexts of Europe's formation in the 13th century, stating that this era saw the emergence of a new power known as the church institution and the development of national identities. The intersection of these two factors led to the establishment of universities, as before that, there were only partially operating schools that taught doctrines, without a centralized identity to teach those principles. In the 12th century, two events occurred: the formation and strengthening of theological and mystical atheist currents under the banner of Christianity, which the religious institution had to counter by writing texts.
Mahoozi mentioned that in Spain and Europe, which were once Muslim strongholds, there was a sense after the Crusades that Augustinian and Dominican schools of thought should replace Islamic schools. That's why the emperor granted permission to establish theological, legal, and vocational centers.
During that time, the Andalusian movement was centered around Averroes, and the Averroesian Latin school was established within the Faculty of Industry. This movement strongly emphasized Aristotelianism and promoted naturalism against prominent religious views, leading to the Faculty of Industry becoming a cancerous tumor in the eyes of Christianity. It was as if there were two conflicting faiths - Augustinian and Averroesian followers - which ultimately resulted in the synthesis of the Thomistic movement. As new fatwas were issued against the Faculty of Industry, the Alberti and Tomasi movement attempted to reconcile faith and reason by utilizing the works of Farabi and Avicenna as tools, providing a philosophical foundation for the synthesis of faith and reason.
Mahoozi explained that the strengthening of the Faculty of Law resulted in the elimination of the Faculty of Industry and the weakening of the Faculty of Theology. In the 14th century, a conflict arose between the Faculty of Law and Theology, and the latter, which was originally established to promote religious education under the title of Theology, became embroiled in conflict. The Faculty of Theology leaned towards the church, while the Faculty of Law leaned towards the emperor. As a result, the university found an opportunity to establish additional faculties during this period of conflict.
He explained that the decline of the university in the 14th and early 15th centuries led to the establishment of a faculty to regulate the practical guidelines of the Faculty of Theology and Law, and that faculty was philosophy. He further noted that this current could keep rationalism and faithism in balance and support legal systems in the region. He questioned where they obtained their scientific resources during these 300 years of history and the establishment of schools and educational centers, as it requires resources.
The faculty member of the Institute of Cultural and Social Studies explains that Baghdad was the first place where Muslim knowledge was transmitted, due to its position as a hub for travelers and its diverse population of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. This allowed for cross-cultural exchange and the sharing of knowledge. Farabi, a prominent Muslim philosopher, did not have to travel far to encounter Christians and Jews, as they were already present in the surrounding cities of Mesopotamia and had learned Arabic. In addition to Baghdad, there were also scientific and translation centers in Spain, some of which were run by Jews who were proficient in multiple languages.
He mentioned the frequent migration pattern of scholars, noting that it was responsible for the widespread dissemination of their works during that time.
Mahoozi also highlighted the influence of Farabi on Avicenna, stating: in Christianity, we also have a strong translation movement, with various translators among them who translated the works of Farabi and Avicenna. For instance, there was a person named Sermona who translated so many works of Farabi that he was given the nickname Alpharabius.
During his speech, he traced the historical trajectory of the establishment and suppression of various faculties at the University of Paris. He discussed how the Faculty of Industry was suppressed, the Faculty of Theology became dominated by the Dominicans, and how Farabi's works were translated in the Faculty of Theology before it was also suppressed. After a period of 300 years, philosophy finally achieved independence in the West. This conflict between faculties is also evident in Kant's treatise, where he proposed a solution to end the domination of theology over philosophy and law. For the first time, Kant offered a solution that would allow the Faculty of Philosophy to break free from its subservience to the Faculty of Theology. The rebirth of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Paris marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new intellectual journey towards philosophical autonomy.
He also mentioned that in Farabi's book, "Ihsa al-Ulum," sciences are categorized based on linguistic and religious perspectives. After that, new sciences emerged in the 9th and 10th centuries, and Farabi discussed the principles and limitations of these sciences, compared medicine to philosophy, and addressed the Arabic language's grammar.
Jawdath highlighted the debate over whether logic is superior to grammar or vice versa, which has been a topic of discussion. Farabi addresses this issue and explains that grammar corrects errors in language, while logic corrects errors in reasoning.
He continued: In this context, a comparison is drawn between philosophy and religion, and Farabi classifies them based on the Islamic perspective of sciences. Other scholars, such as Sheibani, also categorize sciences, but the epistemological framework of sciences was formed between the 9th and 11th centuries.
Jawdath explained that prior to Farabi, there was a conflict between Aristotle and Galen. Aristotle represented philosophy while Galen represented medicine. However, Farabi reconciled the two and examined their limitations. When Galen examined medicine, he studied both empiricist and rationalist schools and movements. He stated that the empiricist tendency examines human experiences in history, but theory is necessary in the rationalist view. Galen argued that a good doctor must also be a good philosopher and should consider philosophical sciences because he is dealing with humans. However, the doctor's view of man is not the same as the philosopher's view of man.
He states that Galen resolves the conflict between empiricism and dogmatism through his reading. According to Farabi, doctors and philosophers in certain places hold human beings in reverence; a doctor restores the health of a human being, while a philosopher restores the health of reason and soul.
Jawdath explains that both Razi and Avicenna discussed the relationship between philosophy and medicine during their time. Avicenna's ideas about the closeness between these two sciences had a significant influence on later philosophers. Like Avicenna, Aristotle and Galen could not separate medicine and philosophy and often discussed them together. However, some readings suggest that there is no difference between medicine and philosophy, while others suggest that each science is preferable to the other. On the other hand, Farabi examines the goals, methods, and principles of these two sciences separately. In Kitab al-Millah, he discusses religious and philosophical legislation. In another source, he examines the logic and grammar of language, and finally, he examines medicine and philosophy as separate entities.
She examined the concept of unity in its totality and proceeded to provide an example, stating, "How do these examples make sense in both material and non-material forms?" She then explained another section of the book Al-Wahed and provided examples related to the unity of two names.
Martini provided an example of formal analogies and elaborated on the peculiar and improbable unity that can exist in matter. She explained how this unity can manifest in a strange and unlikely manner.
Martini also discussed the concept of unity in essence, which can be either primary or final. She then went on to talk about Alexander of Aphrodisias and mentioned that Farabi also wrote about the unity of various aspects such as matter, form, gender, type, predicate, and width, which all come together to form the unity of the moon.
This university professor further explained about unity in number and speech and finally addressed the unity of occasion and said: In this unity, man has the ability of knowledge and knowledge, which is not a religious characteristic, while in the previous states of this The features were spectacular.
In the end, she presented a comparison between Farabi and Aristotle regarding unity.
Board of Directors: Mohsen Rizvani, Najmeh Keikha, Cecilia Martini
The fourth working group of First International Congress on Farabi and Islamic Culture and Civilization was held at the Institute of Cultural and Social Studies on Thursday, March 2, 2023.
Malek Shojaei, Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, “Farabi's Ihsa al-Ulum and its implications for the philosophy of human sciences”
As the first speaker of the meeting, Dr. Malek Shojaei Jeshughani discussed Farabi's "Ihasa al-Ulum" and its relevance to the philosophy of human sciences. He also referenced a quote from Gibbon's book and highlighted the establishment of medieval universities like Oxford and Cambridge, which still bear traces of their origins. My aim is to explore the connection between Farabi's work on Ihsa al-Ulum and the philosophy of humanities in Iran.He added: "When we look at all the available sources such as Ibn Nadim's al-Fehrest (The Index), we realize that very briefly about Farabi's life, thoughts and ideas have been discussed. However, the title given by Mulla Sadra to him as the Second Teacher is thought-provoking and Seyed Hossein Nasr, in the years before the revolution, explained this topic in an article titled "Why was Farabi called the Second Teacher?".
According to Shojaei, Nasr's conclusion is that Farabi's classification of sciences, unlike those of other competing views such as Aristotle's, was suited to the life of the Islamic world and the doctrines of revelation and Shia. This is why he was regarded as a second teacher.
This faculty member from the Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies noted that until 2017, new sources had raised discussions about Farabi's geographical affiliations, with only one paragraph on this topic being mentioned in al-Fehrest. There are two dominant viewpoints in the reading of Islamic philosophy. The first suggests that Islamic philosophers did not actually exist, and that these figures were essentially commentators, or even neo-Platonists, and thus lacked precision. If this is the case, then Farabi would simply be viewed as a museum piece. The second viewpoint is that these philosophers covered all topics of human sciences, governance, lifestyle, and more. This view posits that Mulla Sadra and Farabi's traditions can be mined for insight into these topics. Consequently, Farabi's legacy could either be relegated to a museum or elevated to the level of a Harvard scholar.
The speaker went on to say that the Iranian academy rejects both of the aforementioned views. Instead, if we examine Farabi's legacy in the context of the humanities, we encounter an epistemological obstacle in the history of science: Eurocentricity or Hellenophilia. The article mentions Hellenophilia as a topic, and notes that even in the discourse of the history of science, the 1979 element is Hellenism. That is, if you subscribe to one of several false propositions, then you are subscribing to the discourse of Hellenism. One of these false propositions is that science was invented by the Greeks, and that the Greeks discovered the way to reach the truth and that true sciences also existed in Greece. If you believe in any of these three propositions, you are placing yourself within the discourse of Hellenophilia.
Dr. Shojaei continued, stating that according to Pingree, Plato's contemporaries ridiculed him because they did not believe in Greek miracles, and that the Germans invented the discourse of Hellenism. It is important to note that this discourse in Iran is also heavily influenced by Germany.
He explained that in his view, the greatest obstacle to understanding Farabi and his relationship with the humanities is Hellenophilia. This is because there is a prevalent belief that the humanities cannot be studied without a European perspective. It is noteworthy that even Marx claimed that Plato's Republic embodied the ideal form of the Egyptian class system. However, there has been a recent shift away from Eurocentrism in the study of science and history. In fact, a book on the history of people's science has recently been published, which features a non-European perspective.
Shojaei noted that according to Farabi's Ihsa al-Ulum, the basis for prioritizing sciences over each other in the classification of sciences is sought in order to determine which sciences are the best and most preferable, among other things. However, in Farabi's text, many of these promises are not fulfilled.
He added that Farabi does not adhere to the teachings of the First Teacher, and as such, he should be considered as a separate teacher altogether. In this regard, Farabi fails to achieve his objective of prioritizing science in his work, Ihsa al-Ulum. It should be noted that Ihsa al-Ulum is a study guide designed for students, and therefore, it may not be the most practical book for studying the history of science.
The faculty member from the Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies emphasized that Ihsa al-Ulum is an invitation to rethink our civilization and its relationship with the organization of sciences. Specifically, it prompts us to consider whether our narrative of utopia aligns with our scientific pursuits. However, he noted that many fields within universities have nothing to do with Ihsa al-Ulum or the reevaluation of our sciences.
Reza Mahoozi, Institute of Cultural and Social Studies, “Farabi in the Scientific circles of Europeans in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries”
During another lecture at the congress, Reza Mahoozi, an academic faculty member at the Institute of Cultural and Social Studies, remarked that there has been relatively little discussion about Farabi's role and place in Jewish and Christian thought and civilization. However, he also noted that this was not the focus of his own presentation.He clarified that the Islamic world and Iran's philosophical thought is primarily categorized into three streams: the first being the Peripatetic school, which is represented by Farabi, Avicenna in Iran, and Averroes in Spain. He specifically focuses on this stream and has no involvement with the other two currents in Iran, namely Illuminationism and Sadraism.
He discussed the historical and social contexts of Europe's formation in the 13th century, stating that this era saw the emergence of a new power known as the church institution and the development of national identities. The intersection of these two factors led to the establishment of universities, as before that, there were only partially operating schools that taught doctrines, without a centralized identity to teach those principles. In the 12th century, two events occurred: the formation and strengthening of theological and mystical atheist currents under the banner of Christianity, which the religious institution had to counter by writing texts.
Mahoozi mentioned that in Spain and Europe, which were once Muslim strongholds, there was a sense after the Crusades that Augustinian and Dominican schools of thought should replace Islamic schools. That's why the emperor granted permission to establish theological, legal, and vocational centers.
During that time, the Andalusian movement was centered around Averroes, and the Averroesian Latin school was established within the Faculty of Industry. This movement strongly emphasized Aristotelianism and promoted naturalism against prominent religious views, leading to the Faculty of Industry becoming a cancerous tumor in the eyes of Christianity. It was as if there were two conflicting faiths - Augustinian and Averroesian followers - which ultimately resulted in the synthesis of the Thomistic movement. As new fatwas were issued against the Faculty of Industry, the Alberti and Tomasi movement attempted to reconcile faith and reason by utilizing the works of Farabi and Avicenna as tools, providing a philosophical foundation for the synthesis of faith and reason.
Mahoozi explained that the strengthening of the Faculty of Law resulted in the elimination of the Faculty of Industry and the weakening of the Faculty of Theology. In the 14th century, a conflict arose between the Faculty of Law and Theology, and the latter, which was originally established to promote religious education under the title of Theology, became embroiled in conflict. The Faculty of Theology leaned towards the church, while the Faculty of Law leaned towards the emperor. As a result, the university found an opportunity to establish additional faculties during this period of conflict.
He explained that the decline of the university in the 14th and early 15th centuries led to the establishment of a faculty to regulate the practical guidelines of the Faculty of Theology and Law, and that faculty was philosophy. He further noted that this current could keep rationalism and faithism in balance and support legal systems in the region. He questioned where they obtained their scientific resources during these 300 years of history and the establishment of schools and educational centers, as it requires resources.
The faculty member of the Institute of Cultural and Social Studies explains that Baghdad was the first place where Muslim knowledge was transmitted, due to its position as a hub for travelers and its diverse population of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. This allowed for cross-cultural exchange and the sharing of knowledge. Farabi, a prominent Muslim philosopher, did not have to travel far to encounter Christians and Jews, as they were already present in the surrounding cities of Mesopotamia and had learned Arabic. In addition to Baghdad, there were also scientific and translation centers in Spain, some of which were run by Jews who were proficient in multiple languages.
He mentioned the frequent migration pattern of scholars, noting that it was responsible for the widespread dissemination of their works during that time.
Mahoozi also highlighted the influence of Farabi on Avicenna, stating: in Christianity, we also have a strong translation movement, with various translators among them who translated the works of Farabi and Avicenna. For instance, there was a person named Sermona who translated so many works of Farabi that he was given the nickname Alpharabius.
During his speech, he traced the historical trajectory of the establishment and suppression of various faculties at the University of Paris. He discussed how the Faculty of Industry was suppressed, the Faculty of Theology became dominated by the Dominicans, and how Farabi's works were translated in the Faculty of Theology before it was also suppressed. After a period of 300 years, philosophy finally achieved independence in the West. This conflict between faculties is also evident in Kant's treatise, where he proposed a solution to end the domination of theology over philosophy and law. For the first time, Kant offered a solution that would allow the Faculty of Philosophy to break free from its subservience to the Faculty of Theology. The rebirth of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Paris marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new intellectual journey towards philosophical autonomy.
Jabbour Jawdath, CNRS, Paris, “Distinguishing Medicine from Philosophy in the 9th Century, On Refuting Galen and the Epistemological Heritage of Farabi”
In another speech to the Congress, which was focused on distinguishing medicine from philosophy in the 9th century and responding to the epistemological legacy of On Refuting Galen by Farabi, Jabbour Jawdath addressed the topic and added that modern medicine emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, there is a long historical tradition with many prominent physicians. Often, there was a conflict between medicine and philosophy, and from an epistemological and cultural perspective, Islam can be considered a civilization that experienced rapid growth, and scientific knowledge flourished during this period. Many different sciences were born during this era.He also mentioned that in Farabi's book, "Ihsa al-Ulum," sciences are categorized based on linguistic and religious perspectives. After that, new sciences emerged in the 9th and 10th centuries, and Farabi discussed the principles and limitations of these sciences, compared medicine to philosophy, and addressed the Arabic language's grammar.
Jawdath highlighted the debate over whether logic is superior to grammar or vice versa, which has been a topic of discussion. Farabi addresses this issue and explains that grammar corrects errors in language, while logic corrects errors in reasoning.
He continued: In this context, a comparison is drawn between philosophy and religion, and Farabi classifies them based on the Islamic perspective of sciences. Other scholars, such as Sheibani, also categorize sciences, but the epistemological framework of sciences was formed between the 9th and 11th centuries.
Jawdath explained that prior to Farabi, there was a conflict between Aristotle and Galen. Aristotle represented philosophy while Galen represented medicine. However, Farabi reconciled the two and examined their limitations. When Galen examined medicine, he studied both empiricist and rationalist schools and movements. He stated that the empiricist tendency examines human experiences in history, but theory is necessary in the rationalist view. Galen argued that a good doctor must also be a good philosopher and should consider philosophical sciences because he is dealing with humans. However, the doctor's view of man is not the same as the philosopher's view of man.
He states that Galen resolves the conflict between empiricism and dogmatism through his reading. According to Farabi, doctors and philosophers in certain places hold human beings in reverence; a doctor restores the health of a human being, while a philosopher restores the health of reason and soul.
Jawdath explains that both Razi and Avicenna discussed the relationship between philosophy and medicine during their time. Avicenna's ideas about the closeness between these two sciences had a significant influence on later philosophers. Like Avicenna, Aristotle and Galen could not separate medicine and philosophy and often discussed them together. However, some readings suggest that there is no difference between medicine and philosophy, while others suggest that each science is preferable to the other. On the other hand, Farabi examines the goals, methods, and principles of these two sciences separately. In Kitab al-Millah, he discusses religious and philosophical legislation. In another source, he examines the logic and grammar of language, and finally, he examines medicine and philosophy as separate entities.
Cecilia Martini, professor at the University of Padua, Italy, “Re-examination of Aristotelian Sources in Farabi's The One and Oneness”
During her speech, Professor Cecilia Martini from the University of Padua, Italy, stated that when discussing unity and numbers, it is important to understand what exactly is being referred to. For example, what type of unity can the number one possess? There is a distinction between Farabi and Aristotle in this regard, and Farabi relied heavily on Aristotle's work. When examining the number one, Farabi considered its unity in terms of material, gender, type, width, and other factors. The concept of unity in numbers can have a single or multiple field meaning, which is examined from Farabi's perspective.She examined the concept of unity in its totality and proceeded to provide an example, stating, "How do these examples make sense in both material and non-material forms?" She then explained another section of the book Al-Wahed and provided examples related to the unity of two names.
Martini provided an example of formal analogies and elaborated on the peculiar and improbable unity that can exist in matter. She explained how this unity can manifest in a strange and unlikely manner.
Martini also discussed the concept of unity in essence, which can be either primary or final. She then went on to talk about Alexander of Aphrodisias and mentioned that Farabi also wrote about the unity of various aspects such as matter, form, gender, type, predicate, and width, which all come together to form the unity of the moon.
This university professor further explained about unity in number and speech and finally addressed the unity of occasion and said: In this unity, man has the ability of knowledge and knowledge, which is not a religious characteristic, while in the previous states of this The features were spectacular.
In the end, she presented a comparison between Farabi and Aristotle regarding unity.
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