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SoSe 18: (S) Natural Philosophy in Medieval Islam

Prof. Jon McGinnis

Comments

The course “Natural Philosophy in Medieval Islam: Its Historical, Scientific and Philosophical Context” explores the world through the eyes of medieval Muslim intellectuals. It considers what these thinkers had to say about such question as: what makes up our world; how big is the world; how old is the world; what sort of changes do the things that make up the world undergo and even are there angels and what role, if any, do they play in the world. While all these questions (even the ones about angels) belong to the science of physics, or what is called natural philosophy, they also lead to questions about God’s relation to creation. Moreover, the various answers to these questions informed many of these Muslims understanding of the Quran with its many claims about the world and God's relation to it. Consequently, understanding how these thinkers understood the world helps one better appreciate not only the classical period of Islamic philosophy and science, but also a formative period of Islamic theology. Thus, whether you have interests in Islamic history, theology, philosophy or science, there is something in this course for everyone. close