Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism

Majid Fakhry is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the American University of Beirut, and formerly Lecturer at SOAS, University of London, Visiting Professor at UCLA, and Associate Professor of Philosophy, Georgetown University. He is also currently Senior Fellow at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University. His publications include 'A History of Islamic Philosophy' (Columbia University Press), 'The Qur'an: A Modern English Version' (Garnet), 'Ethical Theories in Islam' (Brill), 'Averroes: His Life, Works and Influence', and 'Al-Farabi, Founder of Islamic Neoplatonism' (both for Oneworld).

Part 1 The transmission of ancient philosophy and science: the Greek and Syriac languages; the Persian and Indian languages. Part 2 Early religious and political conflicts: the political scene in the 7th century; the rise of systematic theology (Kalam); the five fundamental principles of the Mu'tazilah. Part 3 The dawn of systematic philosophy and free thought in the 9th century: Al-Kindi; Abu Bakr al-Razi; the progress of free thought. Part 4 Neoplatonism and neopythagoreanism in the 10th and 11th centuries: Al-Farabi; Ibn Sina; the brethen of purity; the diffusion of philosophical culture in the 10th century. Part 5 Interactions of philosophy and dogma: the eclipse of theological radicalism: the Islam assault on neoplatonism. Part 6 Philosophy and mysticism: ascetic beginnings; pantheistic or unitary mysticism; interactions of mysticism and neoplatonism. Part 7 The resurgence of peripatetic philospohy in al-Andalus: the beginnings of philosophical speculations in al-Andalus; Ibn Bajjah; Ibn Tufayl; Ibn Rushd. Part 8 The progress of anti-rationalism and the onset of decline: Ibn Hazm and Ibn Taymiyah; Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and his successors; Ibn Khaldun of Tunis and his new philosophy of history. Illuminationalism (Ishraq) and the reconciltion of neoplatonism and sufism: Al-Suhrawardi; Al-Shirazi (Mulla Sadra) and his successors. Part 10 Modern and contemporary trends: Islamic thought in India-Pakistan and SouthEast Asia; the continuity of the Ishraqi tradition in Persia; modernism and fundamentalism in the Muslim world today. Appendices: the cheif philosophical translations; leading Mu'tazilite scholars.