On First Philosophy
A philosophical treatise concerned with truth and first causes.
Al-Kindi
Philosophy in Arabic · Abbasid intellectual life
The person behind the ideas
Al-Kindi was a ninth-century philosopher active in the Abbasid intellectual world. He helped develop philosophical writing in Arabic while also studying mathematics, medicine, optics and music. For him, studying inherited knowledge and asking theological questions belonged within a serious search for truth.
Biography sources
Biography reference →At a glance
- Era
- Ninth century
- Notable works
- On First Philosophy
- Tradition
- Philosophy in Arabic · Abbasid intellectual life
Ideas and outlook
Al-Kindi brought philosophical reasoning into conversation with questions of faith, mathematics, medicine and music. Knowledge inherited from other cultures was a resource to examine and develop.
About the works
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Other quotes across journeys
Across the Islamic World
We must not be ashamed to admire the truth or to acquire it, from wherever it comes.
On First Philosophy · excerpt
Visit this journey →Source details
On First Philosophy · excerpt
Al-Kindi defends learning from earlier thinkers, including Greek philosophers. This short excerpt is not a claim that all philosophical positions agree.
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