Al-šahrastānī Critic of Avicenna in The Struggle against the Philosophers

Al-šahrastānī, who confronts Avicenna in several of his works, devoted an entire work to criticizing him, the title of which was The Struggle against the Philosophers . Although unfinished, it nevertheless includes five “questions” out of the seven which its author had foreseen. These concern themes fundamental for philosophy and theology: being, God, the world and its creation. The method according to which al-šahrastānī deals with them is both radical - he is well aware of the central and sensitive points of Avicenna's philosophy, in particular the status of the first emanated Intelligence - and analytical, as it submits Avicenna's technical terms to a rigorous semantic examination, and takes apart those which have the form of syntagmas (such as “The Being necessary by itself”). The foundation of this merciless refutation is adherence to prophecy, as opposed to the attitude of the philosophers

Epistemology · Humanities · Families in Therapy and Culture · Islamic Thought and Society Studies · Medieval and Classical Philosophy · Philosophy