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PHILOSOPHY
Alfarabi's Theory of
Communication
Fuad Said Haddad
Alfarabi (870-950 AD/259-339
AH), was known as the “second teacher” (Aristotle being the
first). He is recognized as having “laid down the
foundations, presented the definitive framework and
determined the course of Islamic philosophy as it came to
be known in the West through Avicenna and Averroes.”
Alfarabi is mostly known for his works on logic,
metaphysics and politics; he did not write on
communication, but alluded to this topic in his various
writings on language and logic.
Through his analysis of and
the implications he draws from Alfarabi's writings, the
author has formalized a theory of language communication
and instruction. This is a new dimension in Alfarabi's
philosophy which is brought to life for the
first time in this work.
English, 1989, 192 pages,
bibliography, paper, $10.
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Bertrand Russell: Fikruhu wa Mawqi'uhu fi al-Falsafa
al-Mu'asira
[Bertrand Russell: Thought and Status in Contemporary
Philosophy]
Ibrahim Najjar
The
aim of this book is to introduce the Arabic reader to
the philosophy of Bertrand Russell. It focuses on his
theories of logic and his political theories. After a
brief presentation of Russell's life history, the
author compares Russell's view of philosophy to that of
other modern philosophers such as Descartes, Locke,
Hume and others. He seeks to highlight the novelty that
Russell brought to logic in comparison with Hegel and
Aristotle. He examines in depth his theories of
knowledge and of desire. The author also studies
Russell's political views, which aspire to universality
in ethical and political contents. He compares Russell
to the most prominent philosophers in the twentieth
century and sheds doubt on his personal rationality
theory. He finally attempts to answer the question of
why Arabs need to learn about Western philosophy.
Arabic, 1997, 200 pages, soft cover, $5.
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The Coherence Theory of
Truth
Haigh Khatchadourian
The coherence theory of
truth is historically associated with the Absolute
Idealists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The
theory enjoyed considerable fame for some time in Europe
and America.
In this essay the theory is
presented chiefly in the form in which it is developed and
evaluated by B. Blanshard in the “Nature of Thought.” After
laying the groundwork for his evaluation, the author argues
forcefully and convincingly that coherence theory is not
acceptable either as an account of nature or as a test of truth.
English, 1961, 241 pages,
paper, $5.
The Mysteries of Almsgiving
(Kitāb Asrār al-Zakāh)
Book V of the First Quarter
of al-Ghazzāli's “Ihyā' Ulūm al-Dīn”
Translated and edited by
Nabih A. Faris
The thinker whose works
ushered in the twelfth century and set the pattern of
Islam's religious and philosophical development was Al-Ghazzāli.
His magnum opus is the Ihyā' Ulūm al-Dīn (the Revival
of the Sciences of Religion) of which a thirteenth century
scholar said: “Should all Moslem writings be destroyed, the
Ihyā', if spared, would make up for all the loss.”
Book V of the First Quarter, translated here, deals with
the inner and outer rules, the duties and virtues of giving
and receiving alms.
English, 1966, 96 pages,
bibliography, index, paper, $7.
The Refinement of Character
(Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq)
Translated by Constantine
Zurayk
A translation into English
of the critical edition of Miskawayh's work, as described
above.
English, 1968, 242 pages,
cloth, $8.
Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq, by Abu 'Ali Ahmad bin Muhammad Miskawayh
[The Refinement of Character]
Edited, with notes and
commentary, by Constantine Zurayk
Miskawayh's work is in many
ways the most important treatise on philosophical ethics in
medieval Islam. It is part of a branch of Muslim ethical
literature related to the Greek philosophico-ethical
tradition, and the work expounds what was known as
“practical philosophy.” By publishing this, the first
critical edition, the author did Islamic scholars a great
service.
Arabic, 1967, 265 pages,
cloth, $8.
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