Muslim neoplatonists : an introduction to the thought of the Brethren of Purity, Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ

Abstract

The 11th-century group of Arab thinkers from Basra in Southern Iraq, the Brethen of Purity (Ikhwan al-Safa), are as well known in some parts of the Arab world as Newton, Hegel and Marx are in the West. This is an introduction to their writings and thought. In clear and simple terms the author analyzes the impact on the Brethren of philosophers such as Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle and the Neoplatonists. He traces the influences of Judaism and Christianity and contrasts these doctrines with those of the Brethren, paying particular attention to their view of Christ. He argues that, contrary to current belief, the Brethren of Purity did not belong to the Ism'ili sect of Islam.

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