Models of Desire in Graeco-Arabic Philosophy

From Plotinus to Ibn Ṭufayl
Erscheinungsjahr 2021
ISBN: 978-90-04-46083-6
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 27, 272 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 600 g

Reihe: Studies in Platonism, Neoplatonism, and the Platonic Tradition

This study argues that late ancient Greek and medieval Islamic philosophers interpret human desire along two frameworks in reaction to Aristotle’s philosophy. The investigation of the model dichotomy unfolds historically from the philosophy of Plotinus through the Graeco-Arabic translation movement in 8th-10th century Baghdad to 12th century al-Andalus with the philosophy of Ibn Bagga and Ibn Tufayl.

Diverging on desire’s inherent or non-inherent relation to the desiring subject, the two models reveal that the desire’s role can orient opposed accounts of human perfection: logically-structured demonstrative knowledge versus an ineffable witnessing of the truth. Understanding desire along these models, philosophers incorporated supra-rational aspects into philosophical accounts of the human being.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Somma, Bethany

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islam: Philosophie & Wissenschaften
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Nicht-Westliche Philosophie Islamische & Arabische Philosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Geschichte der Westlichen Philosophie Antike Philosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Introduction: Desire and Its Models

1 Methodology

2 The Two Models and the Human Goal

3 Structure and Scope

1 An Inherent Model of Desire: Plotinus on Desire for the Good

1 Terminology of Desire

2 Desire in the General Structure of Reality

3 Desire in Intellect

4 Desire in Soul

5 Desire in Judgments and Action

6 What Does It Mean to Desire the Good?

7 Being Good-Like

8 Becoming like the Good

9 Formless Desire

2 The Plotiniana Arabica and Desire’s Discontents

1 Desire in Intellect

2 Soul’s Desire of Intellect

3 Soul and Body’s Desire

4 Assimilation and the Ethical Implications of Soul’s Procession

5 Virtue and the Return

6 Avicenna on the Theology of Aristotle

3 Aristotle and al-Farabi on Desire

1 Aristotle on Desire

2 Al-Farabi on Desire

3 Al-Farabi on Aristotle on Desire

4 Models of Desire in Aristotle and al-Farabi

4 Ibn Bagga on Desire and Conceptualization

1 Desire in the Soul

2 Desire in the Human Being

3 Striving Soul and the Body

4 Ibn Bagga on al-Gazali and the Sufis

5 Human Excellence and Desire

5 Ibn ?ufayl: Situating ?ayy Ibn Yaq?an

1 The Purpose and Methodology of the Text

2 Ibn ?ufayl on His Influences

3 Origins and Orientation

6 The Desire Inherent to Ibn ?ufayl’s ?ayy Ibn Yaq?an

1 ?ayy’s Desire

2 Ibn ?ufayl’s Interpretation of Avicenna and al-Gazali on Desire

3 Appetite and Dissection

4 Holistic Goal of ?ayy’s Education

5 Subject of Education, Subject of Desire

Conclusion: Modelling the Study

1 Drawing the Boundaries of the Book

2 Ibn Bagga and Ibn ?ufayl: Modelling Good Desire

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Bethany Somma, Ph.D (2018), is a postdoc at the LMU Munich. Their research focuses on psychology, ethics, and animals in ancient Greek philosophy and philosophy of the Islamic world.