History of Islamic Philosophy

Originally published in French and translated here for the first time into English, this acclaimed work is a definitive interpretation of traditional Islamic philosophy from the beginning down to the present day. In this authoritative volume, Corbin makes clear the great themes of the doctrinal and mystical vision of Islamic philosophy through a wealth of comparative parallels and in relation to the most profound currents of Western philosophy.

In Part One, from the Qurʾanic revelation to the death of Averroes, Corbin considers the sources of philosophical meditation in Islam; Shiʿism and prophetic philosophy; the Sunni kalām; philosophy and the natural sciences; the Hellenizing philosophers; Sufism; al-Suhrawardī and the Philosophy of Light, and the Andalusian tradition. In Part Two, from the death of Averroes to the present day, he examines Sunni thought, the metaphysics of Sufism, and Shiʿi thought.

Corbin’s History of Islamic Philosophy is both an inspirational book and an essential work of reference, enabling readers to discover for themselves the richness of this body of thought.