09. Scholars

Session 9

Sharing cultures: the scholars

1. Islam and the ancient sciences 2. Arabic learning 3. A new learning 4. Jewish reception 5. Schools in Islam

1. Islam and the ancient sciences

Islam and the ancient sciences expansion of Islam: myriad of non-Muslims under Muslim rule (large populations of Christians, Zoroastrians, pagans, and Jews) – much more learned populations (heirs of ancient civilizations) – Muslims interested in achievements of ancient Persians, Hindus and, very specially, Greeks

Islam and the ancient sciences they became interested in – philosophy: Plato and Aristotle – medicine: Galen, Hippocrates, Dioscorides – astronomy: Ptolemy – mathematics: Euclid, Pitagoras, Archimedes

Islam and the ancient sciences to make accessible sciences: ambitious translation program initiated, 9th century – translations Greek, Syriac, Indian and Pahlevi sources into Arabic

– translators non-Arabs and non-Muslims

Christian scholars (Nestorians): Christian schools and monasteries in Near East and Central Asia Hunayn ibn Ishaq, Baghdad, 9th century more than hundred medical texts of Galenic corpus

2. Arabic learning

Arabic learning by the 10th century, consequences of translation program – intellectual treasures of the ancient civilizations accessible – inspired original Arabic scientific and philosophical works

Bukhara (Persia) Tous (Persia) Ghazni (Afghanistan)

Cordoba (Al-Andalus) Seville (Al-Andalus) Granada (Al-Andalus)

Baghdad (Irak) Aleppo (Syria) Isfahan (Persia)

Arabic learning a period of intellectual splendor intellectual achievements of Islam the most advanced Muslim scientist assiduously studied the Greek sciences. They became skilled in the various branches. The progress they made in the study of those sciences could not have been better. They contradicted the First Teacher (Aristotle) on many points. They considered him the decisive authority as to whether an opinion should be rejected or accepted, because he possessed the greatest fame. They wrote systematic works on the subject. They surpassed their predecessors in the intellectual sciences (Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah)

the astronomers and astrologers – al-Khwarizmi, Persia, died 850 – Albumasur, Persia, died 885 – al-Battani, Turkey, died circa 923 – al-Biruni, Persia, died 1048 – Alzarchel, al-Andalus, died 1087

a page from a book on mathematics by al-Khwarizmi

the astronomers and astrologers – Indians • Surya Siddhanta, written circa 400 • Aryabhata, died 550 • Varahamihira, died 587 • Brahmagupta, died 668

– Greeks • Ptolemy Almagest, written circa 150

illustration by Al­Biruni of lunar eclipses from Kitab al­ tafhim

Ptolemy's Cosmos – – – –

celestial realm is spherical, and moves as sphere earth is a sphere earth is at center of cosmos earth does not move

the order of planetary spheres 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Moon Mercury Venus Sun Mars Jupiter Saturn sphere of fixed stars

Arabic learning planets and fixed stars – planets and fixed stars are beings: non-corruptible, perfect – superior to beings on Earth: corruptible following Aristotle: inferior things are subject to superior ones

Arabic learning Astrologers taught that – planets and fixed stars (planetary conjunctions) control every aspect of life – planets and fixed stars (planetary conjunctions) control sexuality • sexual complexion • sexual functioning (sexual behavior)

Arabic learning astrologers taught – to find out if a woman is a virgin or if she is corrupted – to find out someone’s sexual proclivities: if you have sex with a person of your gender, if you have excessive sexual appetite, if you are impotent, if you are sterile, if you have strange habits – to find out if wife is loyal to spouse, if she has a lover – to determine the character of a future husband, particularly, his sexual behavior – to determine paternity

astrology tells us – what you are – what you do whether people next door will have sex on a certain night periods of conception and fetal development

3. A new learning

a new learning the sciences with which people concern themselves in cities, and which they acquire and pass on through instruction, are of two kinds: one that is natural to man and to which he is guided by his own ability to think, and a traditional kind he learns from those who invented it – the philosophical or intellectual sciences (human reason) Arabic falsafa (faylasuf), Greek philosophia

– the traditional sciences (divine revelation)

a new learning the intellectual sciences are natural to man, inasmuch as he is a thinking being. They are not restricted to any particular religious group. They are studied by the people of all religious groups who are equally qualified to learn them and to do research in them. They have existed and been known to the humans species since civilization had its beginning in the world … they comprise four different sciences –

the science of logic

–

the science of physics (medicine)

–

the science of metaphysics

–

the science of mathematics (geometry, arithmetic, music, astronomy)

a new learning the point, using reason as path to truth – understanding men – understanding world – understanding God reason and faith, religion and science

a new learning the philosophers – al-Kindi, Irak, died circa 873 – al-Farabi, Transoxania, died 950 – Avicenna (ibn Sina), Persia, died 1037 – Averroes (ibn Rushd), al-Andalus, died 1192

a new learning the philosophers – the school of Athens (Plato) – the school of Alexandria (Aristotle) Aristotelism

4. Jewish reception

Jewish reception Arabic achievements, Jewish reception • Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides), Cordoba, died 1204 Arabic Aristotelism (Guide for the perplexed)

• Abraham ibn Ezra, the Wise, Tudela, died 1167

Jewish reception Abraham ibn Ezra, the Wise – Luhot, astronomical tables – Sefer ha-Ibbur, on calendar – Keli ha-Nehoshet, on astrolabe – Sheelot and Kadrut, translation of two works by Mashallah – Sefer Hateamim (The Book of Reasons), overview of Arabic astrology – Reshith Hochma (The Beginning of Wisdom), introduction to astrology

5. Schools in Islam

schools in Islam schools in Islam masjid (madrasah) • were students were taught by masters • often linked to mosque

schools in Islam schools taught – traditional sciences – Arabic the basis of all traditional sciences is the legal material of the Quran and the Sunna, which is the law given us by God and his messenger, as well as the sciences connected with that material, by means of which we are enabled to utilize it. This, further, requires as auxiliary sciences the sciences of the Arabic language. Arabic is the language of Islam, and the Quran was revealed in it

schools in Islam these schools taught not philosophical sciences

Materia Medica of Dioscurides, Syria, 1229. Two students and frontispiece. Source: http://www.oberlin.edu/art/images/art109/art109.html

schools in Islam philosophical sciences taught at home of scholars, in courts, in hospitals (maristan) philosophical sciences, an individual affair • in cities, private masters • in cities, students moving from master to master

schools in Islam schools (oficial Islam, Islam of establishment) – excluded ancient sciences – rejected ancient sciences rejected reason as path to truth

– accepted Islamic sciences • accepted revelation as path to truth • accepted mysticism as path to truth