Fârâbî (al-Fārābī)
medievalIslamic Neoplatonism / Falsafa872 – 950
Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī (c. 872–950 CE) was a preeminent Islamic philosopher known as the 'Second Teacher' (after Aristotle). He synthesized Aristotelian and Neoplatonic thought within an Islamic framework and laid foundational groundwork for later figures like Avicenna and Averroes.
Notable Achievements
1
Developed an emanationist cosmology deriving all existence from the First Cause
2
Authored 'The Virtuous City' (Al-Madina al-Fadila), a major work of political philosophy
3
Earned the title 'Second Teacher' after Aristotle for his commentaries on Aristotelian logic
4
Systematized the classification of the sciences in 'Iḥṣāʾ al-ʿUlūm'
5
Influenced the development of Islamic metaphysics and the theory of prophecy