Alfarabi, the political writings: selected aphorisms and other texts

194 Pages·2001·1.58 MB·English

by  Alfarabi

AGOREAD ITIONS
EditTohro:m aLs.P angle
FoundiEndgi tAolrl:aB nl oom
AlfarTahbei, i PcoWalrliii tntg"sS:e leAcptheodr iasnOmdts h"Te exrt s.
Translaatnedad n notabtyCe hda rlEe.Bs u tterworth
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"Liyssw,i"ta Nh e wT ranslation.
KojevAel,e xanIdnret.r odtuotc hRteei aodnoi Hfne ggl eL:e ctountr hese
"PhenolmoegonySf op irAistse.m"b blyeR da ymonQdu eneau.
EditbeydA llaBnl ooTmra.n slabtyJe adm eHs.N ichoJlrs.
MediePvoalliP thiiclaolsA oS pohuyr:c eEdbiotobekydR. a lpLhe rnaenrd
MuhsiMna hdi.
PlatGoo.r gTiraanss.l abtye dJ aHm.eN si choJlrs.
PlatPoh.a edTrrnaussl.a btyeJ da mesN iHc.h oJlrs.
PlatGoo.r gainaPdsh aedTrraunssl.a btyJe adm eHs.N ichoJlrs.
ThReo ootfPs o liPthiiclaolsT enoF pohorytg:t Seonc rDaitailco Egduietbsey.d
ThomaLs.P angle.
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TheaTtrrnasel.a btyeA dl laBnl oom.
ALFARABI
TheP olitical
Writings
SELECTAEPDH ORISMaSn dO theTre xts
TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY
CHARLESE . BUTTERWORTH
CorneUlnli verPsrietsys
ITHAACNAD L ONDON
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NewY or1k4 850.
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LIBRARY OFC ONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATIODNA TA
Farabi.
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Alfaratbhpieo, litwirciatli :nS gesl eAcptheodr iansdmo sth er
texIt tsr anslaantdae ndn otabtyeC dh arlEe.Bs u tterworth.
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anda cid-pfarpeeetr hsaa tr ree cycled,c htlootrailnleoy-rp f arretel,y
composoefnd o nwoofdi beBroso.kt sh abte atrh leo gooft hFeS C
(ForSetsetw ardCsohuinpc uislep)a petra kefnr ofmo retshtahsta ve
beeinn specatnedcd e rtiafsmi eeedt itnhghe i ghest stfaonrd ards
environmaenndst oacli raels ponsiFboirfl uirttyih.ne fro rmavtiisoint,
ourw ebsiattwe w w.cornellprnreelsls..ecdou.
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For
Char"lCehsi cEkv"a nJsr .,
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witghr atitfuotdrhe e fiari itnh
thpe romiosfee d ucation

Contents
Preface
ix
SelecAtpheodr isms
1
Enumeraotfit ohneS ciences
69
BoookfR eligion
85
TheH armonizoaftt ihoeTn w oO pinioonfts h eT woS ages:
PlatthoeD iviannedA risttloe
115
Glossya r
169
Index
177

Preface
Widerleyf ertroe d"a tsh see cotneda chtehra,it"ss ,e coanfdt Aerri stotle,
AbuN a�?Mru l).amImbanMd u l).ammaIdb nT arkhIabnnA wzalaaglh­
Fara(bAil fariasgb ein)e rahlelrya ladseh da vifnogu ndpeodl itpihcia­l
losophy twhiIets hliancm uilct utrraald itBoiroinnn .a bou8t7 o2/5 6i1n
the vilFlaargaeib nT o ufr keshtear ne,s idiend BukhMaarrav}:I,,a rran,
Baghdaadn,dp erhaipnCs o nstantianswo epllales ,i nA leppCoa,i ro,
andf inaDlalmya scwuhse,r hee diien9d 5 03/3 9T·h es ono fa na rmy
offiicnet rh es erviocfte h eS amaniAdlsf,a rabis tfuidriIsestdl amic
jurispruadnedn cmeu isniB cu khartah,em no vetdo M arvw,h erhee
begatno s tudlyo gic aw Nietsht orCiharni stmioannkY ,u l).annIab n
HaylaWnh.i leh iiesna rtlwye ntAilefsa,r laebfit for Baghdad, where he
contintuose tdu dlyo gaincd p hilosowpihtIyhb n}:I aylaAntt. h sea me
timhee,i mprovheidgs r asopfA rabbiycs tudywiintgh ptrhoem inent
philolIobganil s-tS aarnrdia sjs aitdoh avfeo llotwhecedo ursoefts h e
famouNses torian Cthrrainsstlaianatdno rs tuodfAe rnits tMoattlteIa,b n
Yunus.
Aroun9d0 5/2903/--9219A8l,f arlaebBfita ghdadB yfzoarn t(ipuoms ­
sibelvye rne achCionngs tantiwnhoeprlheee r) e,m ainfeoadrb out eight
yearsst,u dyGirneges kc ienacnedps h ilosoOpnhh iyrs.e tutroBn a ghdad,
heb usiheidm sewliftt he achainndg wriutnitnigl poulpihteiacviaanll s
942/3f3o0r cheidmt os eerke fuigne DamaTswcouo srt. h ryeeea lrast er,
polittiucramlot ihle drreo vhei mt oE gypwth,e rhee s tayuendt rielt urn-
1.T haits8 ,7 o0f t hCeo mmoEnr aan d 2t5h6Ae n onfHo e ji(rtahyeee a6r2C 2.E .w, hen
Muhammaadn dh ifso llofwleefrdrs o Mme cctaoM edinmaa,r ktsh bee ginnoiftn hge
Muslciaml endar).
ix