Commentary

[in chronological order]

Escaping the Scholastic Paradigm: The Dispute between Strauss and His Contemporaries about How to Approach Islamic and Jewish Medieval Philosophy

- Parens, Joshua.  “Escaping the Scholastic Paradigm: The Dispute between Strauss and His Contemporaries about How to Approach Islamic and Jewish Medieval Philosophy,” in Encountering the Medieval in Modern Jewish Thought, 203–227, eds. Aaron Hughes and James Diamond. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2012.
Overview: Shows how disputes over the interpretation of Alfarabi are linked to the larger issue of the difference between Christian and Judeo-Islamic thought. Excerpt: “At first it might appear to be a mere accident that many of the same contemporary… More

Reflections on al-Fārābī’s Mabādi’ ārā’ ahl al-madīna al-fāḍīla

- Rudolph, Ulrich. “Reflections on al-Fārābī’s Mabādi’ ārā’ ahl al-madīna al-fāḍīla.” In In the Age of Alfarabi: Arabic Philosophy in the Fourth/Tenth Century. Ed. Peter Adamson. London: Warburg Institute, 2008, pp.1-14.
Overview: Tries to explain the unusual structure of Alfarabi’s Virtuous City by referring to other important religious texts of the period. Overview of volume: The papers in this volume were given at a conference held at the Warburg Institute in 2006 to… More

Milla in al-Fārābī and the Brethren of Purity

- Heck, Paul L. “Milla in al-Fārābī and the Brethren of Purity.” In In the Age of Alfarabi: Arabic Philosophy in the Fourth/Tenth Century. Ed. Peter Adamson. London: Warburg Institute, 2008.
Overview:  An effort to explain Alfarabi’s somewhat unusual attitude toward religion, and compare it with another important philosophical text from the same era. Volume Description: The papers in this volume were given at a conference held at the Warburg… More

Al-Fārābi’s Kitāb al-Ḥurūf and his Analysis of the Senses of Being

- Menn, Stephen. “Al-Fārābi’s Kitāb al-Ḥurūf and his Analysis of the Senses of Being.” Arabic Sciences and Philosophy, vol. 18, pp. 59-97.
Overview: An admirable effort by a leading professor of Greek philosophy to drum up interest in Alfarabi in his field. It attempts to explain some very difficult, and hitherto rarely examined, discussions of being in the Book of Letters. Abstract:… More

Philosophy and ‘Jihād.’ Al-Fārābī on Compulsion to Happiness

- Sweeney, Michael. “Philosophy and ‘Jihād.’ Al-Fārābī on Compulsion to Happiness.” Review of Metaphysics. Vol. 60, No. 3 (March 2007), pp. 543-572.
Overview: A spirited effort to understand Alfarabi’s views of jihād in a manner very different from both Butterworth and Kraemer. Excerpt: “Abu Nasr Muhammed Alfarabi (870-950 A.D), arguably the most important political philosopher of medieval Islam,… More

An Islamic Philosophy of Virtuous Religions by Joshua Parens

- Parens, Joshua.  An Islamic Philosophy of Virtuous Religions: Introducing Alfarabi. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2006.
Overview: This cogent effort to situate al-Farabi’s thought within the broader context of the political conditions of the Islamic world contains good discussions of war, tyranny, religion, and world government. Excerpt: “Now more than at any time… More

Breaking with Athens: Alfarabi as Founder

- Colmo, Christopher. Breaking with Athens: Alfarabi as Founder. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2005.
Overview: Makes the unusual argument that Alfarabi, despite his stated admiration for Plato and Aristotle, was in fact a precursor to modern political thought. The single-handed determination with which the author drives home this point is often helpful.… More

Farabi et l’École d’Alexandrie

- Vallat, Philippe. Farabi et l’École d’Alexandrie. Paris: J. Vrin, 2004.
Overview: This book is noteworthy for the very thorough list of primary and secondary sources in its index, far superior in detail to that available on this site. The book itself is erudite but notoriously difficult to follow.

Y-a-t-il une pensée politique dans le Kitāb al-Ḥurūf d’al-Fārābī?

- Gannagé, Emma. “Y-a-t-il une pensée politique dans le Kitāb al-Ḥurūf d’al-Fārābī?” In Mélanges d’Université Saint-Joseph: Volume LVII 2004, pp. 229-257.
Overview: Discusses some of the more puzzling aspects of the second chapter of the Book of Letters, such as the relationship between philosophy and religions and the political hierarchy of human arts.

Plato’s Republic in Arabic: A Newly Discovered Passage

- Reisman, David C. “Plato’s Republic in Arabic: A Newly Discovered Passage.” In Arabic Sciences and Philosophy, vol. 14, 2004, pp. 263-300.
Overview: A recent and important contribution to the debate over Plato’s reception into the Islamic world. By indicating that a crucial passage of the Republic was indeed translated into Arabic, it adds fuel (but of course no proof) to the speculation that… More

The Meaning of madanī in al-Fārābī’s ‘Political’ Philosophy

- Gutas, Dimitri. "The Meaning of madani in al-Farabi's 'Political' Philosophy." Melanges de l'Unviversite Saint Joseph, Vol. LVII, 2004, pp. 259-282.  
Overview: A leading scholar and polemicist argues that Alfarabi does not have an political philosophy at all. He interprets the term normally translated as ‘political’ to mean ‘city-dweller.’

Alfarabi’s Imperfect Constitutions

- Crone, Patricia. “Alfarabi’s Imperfect Constitutions.” Mélanges de l’Université Saint-Joseph, Vol. LVII, 2004, pp. 191-228.
Overview: A lively and learned discussion of Alfarabi’s treatment of the non-virtuous governments, including democracy.

Al-Fārābī on the Democratic City

- Khalidi, Muhammad Ali. “Al-Fārābī on the Democratic City.” British Journal for the History of Philosophy 11 (3) 2003, pp. 379-394.
Overview: A spirited attempt to show that Alfarabi’s account of democracy resembles modern liberal democracy. Khalidi probably overstates his case, but this intelligent articles remains well-worth reading. Excerpt: “This essay will explore some of… More

Can a Tenth Century Aristotelian Help us Understand Plato’s Laws? by Steven Harvey

- Harvey, Steven. "Can a Tenth Century Aristotelian Help us Understand Plato's Laws?" in Plato's Laws: From Theory of Practice. Eds. Samuel Scolnicov and Luc Brisson. Sankt Augustin: Akademica Verlag, 2003.  
Overview: Argues that even if al-Farabi did not have access to the same Platonic text that we possess, he can still help us understand Plato’s Laws. From the publisher: “The articles of this volume are a selection of the papers presented at the Sixth… More

Aristotelian Logic and the Arabic Language in Alfarabi

- Alon, Ilai. Al-Fārābi’s Philosophical Lexicon. Wiltshire, England: Aris & Phillips Ltd. 2002.
Description: A competent study of one of the central themes in Alfarabi: the relationship between language and logic. Excerpt (from introduction): “Medieval Islamic scholars widely referred to Aristotle as the ‘First Teacher,’ evidence of… More

Al-Fārābi’s Philosophical Lexicon

- Alon, Ilai. Al-Fārābi’s Philosophical Lexicon. Wiltshire, England: Aris & Phillips Ltd. 2002.
Overview: This helpful reference work contains examples of the usage of important Arabic terms in Alfarabi. This edition consists of two volumes; volume one quotes the Arabic text of al-Farabi’s philosophical definitions and those of parallel authors,… More

Alfarabi and the Foundation of Islamic Political Philosophy by Muhsin Mahdi

- Mahdi, Muhsin. Alfarabi and the Foundation of Islamic Political Philosophy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001.
Overview:  The final work of perhaps the most important scholar of Alfarabi in the past generation was unfortunately left incomplete. The essays it contains, many of which have also been published elsewhere, are nonetheless extremely illuminating. Excerpt:… More

Galen’s Synopsis of Plato’s Laws and Fārābī’s Talhīs

- Gutas, Dimitri. "Galen's Synopsis of Plato's Laws and Farabi's Talhis." In The Ancient Tradition in Christian and Islamic Hellenism. Eds. Gerhard Endress and Remke Kruk. Leiden: Research School CNSW, 1997.
Overview: Argues that Alfarabi had access to Plato’s Laws only through a lost commentary by Galen, a fact that explains many of the peculiarities of his summary.

Metaphysics as Rhetoric: Alfarabi’s Summary of Plato’s ‘Laws’

- Parens, Joshua. Metaphysics as Rhetoric: Alfarabi’s Summary of Plato’s ‘Laws.’ Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995.
Overview: The first attempt at a comprehensive interpretation of Alfarabi’s puzzling Summary of Plato’s Laws. The claim that Alfarabi had access to the original text, which had also been suggested by Mahdi a generation earlier, has provoked a vicious… More

Du Coran à la Philosophie

- Langhade, Jacques. Du Coran à la Philosophie. Damas: Institut Français de Damas, 1994.
Overview:  This extremely informative book offers a summary of Alfarabi’s teachings on language, religion, and philosophy, as well as extensive historical and religious background to them.

Al-Fārābī’s Statecraft: War and the Well-Ordered Regime

- Butterworth, Charles. “Al-Fārābī’s Statecraft: War and the Well-Ordered Regime.” In Cross, Crescent, and Sword: The Justification and Limitation of War in Western and Islamic Tradition. Eds. James Turner Johnson and John Kelsay. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. pp. 79-100.
Overview: A helpful account of Alfarabi’s various discussions of war and jihād, none of which seems to resemble the other. It presents Alfarabi as highly suspicious of the notion of ‘just war. Description : This timely and scholarly book includes… More

Al-Fārābī’s Imperfect State

- Mahdi, Muhsin. ”Al-Fārābī’s Imperfect State.” Review of Richard Walzer. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 100, no. 4  (Oct.-Dec.1990), pp. 691-726.
Overview: This analysis of Walzer’s important edition of Alfarabi’s Virtuous City contains a critique of both Walzer’s ‘source-hunting’ approach and his attribution of Shi’ism to Alfarabi. It is so thorough and convincing that it sometimes becomes… More

Politics and Excellence: The Political Philosophy of Alfarabi

- Galston, Miriam. Politics and Excellence: The Political Philosophy of Alfarabi. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990.
Overview: An attempt to make sense of Alfarabi’s various treatments of virtue, happiness, and political science. It also contains some interesting suggestions about the manner of his writing. Description: Widely recognized as one of the most original… More

Logic and Aristotle’s Rhetoric and Poetics in Medieval Arabic Philosophy

- Black, Deborah. Logic and Aristotle’s Rhetoric and Poetics in Medieval Arabic Philosophy. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1990.
Overview: An important discussion of the reworking of Aristotle’s Organon in the medieval Islamic world. It is not exclusively devoted to Alfarabi but contains many discussions of him. Description: As the title of this book imitates, it investigates the… More

Alfarabi

- Muhsin Mahdi, "Alfarabi" in History of Political Philosophy, eds. Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey (Chicago: University of Chicago Press), 1987.
Excerpt: “Alfarabi was the first philosopher who sought to confront, to relate, and as far as possible to harmonize classical political philosophy with Islam – a religion that was revealed through a prophet-legislator (Muhammed) in the form of a… More

The Jihād of the Falāsifa

- Kraemer, Joel. “The jihād of the falāsifa.” Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, vol. 10, 1987.
Overview: The first of a number of articles to treat the question of war and jihād in Alfarabi. The author’s interpretation is learned but also rather literal.

Philosophy in the Renaissance of Islam by Joel Kraemer

- Kraemer, Joel. Philosophy in the Renaissance of Islam. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1986.
Overview: This important work of intellectual history provides outstanding historical background to Alfarabi. Excerpt: “In Humanism in the Renaissance of Islam, I portrayed the cultural revival that took place in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Baghdad… More

Democracy in Islamic Political Philosophy

- Najjar, Fauzi M. “Democracy in Islamic Political Philosophy.” Studia Islamica, No. 51 (1980), pp. 107-122.
Overview: The earliest article devoted exclusively to democracy in medieval Islamic political philosophy takes a rather pessimistic view of the subject. This article should be compared with the work by Khalidi that was cited above. Excerpt: “It is… More

Aristotle’s Politics in Arabic Philosophy

- Pines, Shlomo. “Aristotle’s Politics in Arabic philosophy.” In Israel Oriental Studies, Vol. V, 1975, pp. 150-160.
Overview: A famous scholar provides a characteristically erudite account of the uncertain presence of Aristotle’s Politics in medieval Islam, shedding light on a couple of important passages of Alfarabi in the process.

Language and Logic in Classical Islam

- Mahdi, Muhsin. “Language and Logic in Classical Islam” in Logic in Classical Islamic Culture. Ed. G.E. von Grunebaum, Wiesbden, Germany: 1970, pp. 51-83.
Overview: An excellent summary of a live debate over the importance of Greek language and logic in the Islamic world that is said to have shaped Alfarabi’s own views on the subject.

The Editio Princeps of Fārābī’s Compendium Legum Platonis

- Mahdi, Muhsin. “The Editio Princeps of Fārābī’s Compendium Legum Platonis.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies. Vol 20, No.1, Jan. 1961, pp. 1-24.
Overview: A powerful and philologically competent defense of the view that Alfarabi’s work on Plato’s Laws represents far more than a more summary of Plato or Galen. Excerpt: “The “Summary of Plato’s Laws” by Alfarabi is the only… More

Farabi’s Plato by Leo Strauss

- Strauss, Leo. ”Farabi’s Plato.” In Louis Ginzberg: Jubilee Volume. New York: The American Academy for Jewish Research, 1945, pp. 357-393.
Excerpt: “It is generally admitted that one cannot understand the teaching of Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed before one has understood the teaching of “the philosophers”; for the former presents itself as a Jewish correction of the latter. To… More

Alfarabius: De Platonis Philosophia

- Rosenthal, Franz, and Walzer, Richard. Alfarabius: De Platonis Philosophia. London: Warburg Institute, 1943.
Overview:  The original, pioneering edition of the Philosophy of Plato, translated into, and even introduced in, Latin. The introduction contains some useful historical information, as well as example of the same source-hunting approach that Walzer would… More

Quelques Remarques sur la Science Politique de Maimonide et de Fārābī

- Strauss, Leo. “Quelques Remarques sur la Science Politique de Maimonide et de Fārābī.” Revue des Etudes Juives. Paris: Janvier-Juin 1936, no. 199-200, pp. 1-37.
Overview: An early but still useful attempt by Strauss to appreciate the role of political science in Alfarabi and Maimonides’ work.