HISTORY OF ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY

The course of History of Islamic Philosophy is one of the supplementary training activities in the degree course. It aims to introduce the fundamental elements in the history of classical Arab-Islamic theological and philosophical thought, as a necessary complement to the study of history, Islamic religion and Islamic law, disciplines also foreseen in the course of studies. The specification "Classical Islam" is here needed since the period taken into consideration by the course in question includes approximately the centuries from the 8th to the 12th, i.e. starting from the period of the first theoretical debates and the reception of Greek works, up to the manifold philosophical elaboration of Averroes (d. 1198 AD).
The main objective is, first of all, to provide students with basic knowledge around the major themes and authors of the theological and philosophical tradition of classical Islam; an equally important goal is to make them aware of the theoretical interest in elaborations coming from a different cultural tradition; finally, especially if we think of students who have not previously received a philosophical training, the course aims to make them aware of the various ontological and ethical issues, and to educate them in developing a personal vision around the multiple issues related to man and its location in the universe.

989/5000
The aim is to equip the students who will complete the course with a good knowledge, even if basic, of the major topics discussed in the context of classical Arab-Islamic theological and philosophical thought, and with the ability to highlight the most symptomatic figures in this context, through the identification of the peculiarities of each of them. By "peculiarity" we mean the aspects of thought that make each theologian or philosopher distinguishable and remarkable comparatively within the discipline involved and the related schools of thought.
It is also expected that students will be able to master the vocabulary of the discipline in question, both through the understanding of the Arabic terminology employed (e.g. tawhid, fasiq, "al-juz 'alladhi la yatajazza'u", sabab,' illa, etc.), and through the intelligence of the common theological and philosophical vocabulary (for example, couples as: possible-necessary, essential and contingent, or cause-effect).

There are no prerequisites for the course of History of Islamic Philosophy, although it is easier for those who have previously received a philosophical training.

Terminology of theological and philosophical study.
The development of "falsafa" and of dialectical theology (kalām) starting from the encounter with the Syriac, Hellenic and Persian worlds.
Dialectical theology and the identification of the main topics debated (for example the relationship between faith and deeds, divine determinism and - relative - free will) and of the most symptomatic figures (among the traditionalists, the mu'tazilites, the ash'ariyya-maturidiyya, the exponents of tasawwuf), up to al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyya.
Atomism and its reworking in the Islamic sphere.
Sufism.
The Islamic-Christian controversy and the stimuli given to the apologists.
Al-Kindī (d. about 870 AD), "the philosopher of the Arabs".
Al-Rāzī (d. ante 935 AD).
al-Fārābī (d. 950 AD).
Ibn Sīnā (d. 1037 AD).
The Andalusian thinkers: Ibn Bajja (d. 1139 AD); Ibn Ṭufayl (d. 1185 AD); and Averroes (d. 1198 AD).

Texts (in Italian)
- C. D’Ancona, Storia della filosofia nell’Islam medievale, 2 voll. , Einaudi, Torino 2005.
- U. Rudolph, La filosofia islamica, Il Mulino, Bologna 2006.

Students will also study a text chosen from the following:
- D. Gutas, Pensiero greco, cultura araba, Einaudi, Torino 2002.
- A. Scarabel, Il Sufismo. Storia e dottrina, Carocci, Roma 2007.
- M. Campanini, Il pensiero islamico contemporaneo, Il Mulino, Bologna 2016.

To verify that attending students are able to profitably follow the course in question, the teacher begins each lesson with questions about the contents of previous lessons, asking questions about any basic deficiencies or about the lack of understanding of the topics covered.
The final assessment consists of a conversation with the teacher on a topic chosen by the student and on further topics, proposed by the teacher, related to the entire course.

Lectures. At the end of each lesson, discussion in the classroom on the topics covered. Teacher's lecture. At the end of each lesson, discussion in the classroom on the topics covered. At the beginning of each lesson, the topics discussed in the previous lesson are summarized. One or more seminars are planned, by experts in the subjects dealt with (Sufism for example), coming from other universities, in Italy or abroad.

Italian

Students are strongly advised to attend the classes.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development