Philosophers

Аl-Farаbi, Abu Nasr (872-950)

Persian Islamic neoplatonist who employed Aristotelian logic in support of

his arguments for the existence of god and used Plato's Republic as the

model for his own description of civil society in Principles of Citizens of

the Virtuous City.

Ibn Sina, Abщ'Alм al-Husayn (980-1037)

Persian Islamic philosopher and physician whose Kitab Al-Shifa (Book of

Healing) commented on the philosophy of Aristotle. As a leading

neoplatonist, Ibn Sina emphasized the causal necessity that characterizes

emanations from the divine, but supposed that human knowledge can best be

achieved by mystical illumination.

Neoplatonism

Philosophical system developed by Plotinus and others. Nominally derived

from Plato's metaphysics, neoplatonic philosophy regards the natural world

as a series of emanations from the nature of god. During most of the

medieval period, this system was the most influential version of Plato's

thought.

Aristotelianism

A tradition, dating from the medieval period, concerned with promoting and

defending significant portions of the philosophy of Aristotle.