ABU NASR AL-FARABI – THE FOUNDER OF EASTERN PERIPATETICISM

Abstract

Abu Nasr al-Farabi was a great thinker, philosopher, and encyclopedist of the 9th–10th centuries, who made a significant contribution to global civilization through his scientific and philosophical works. He introduced the Islamic world to both the philosophy of Islam and the legacy of Greek thought, especially that of Aristotle. Recognized as the founder of Eastern peripateticism, al-Farabi developed and adapted the main principles of Aristotelian philosophy to the cultural and intellectual context of the East. His works covered a wide range of subjects, including logic, metaphysics, political philosophy, ethics, epistemology, and natural sciences. Al-Farabi’s key contribution lies in his theory of intellect, his concept of the virtuous city, and his classification of the sciences. He emphasized rational and logical reasoning as the foundation of knowledge and the path to human perfection. His philosophy merged elements of Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism with Islamic thought, forming a unique system that influenced both the Muslim world and medieval Europe. Despite contradictions with orthodox Islamic theology, al-Farabi’s ideas laid the groundwork for the flourishing of Islamic philosophy and contributed to the intellectual heritage of the Renaissance.