- Medieval Studies, European History, Islamic Studies, Medieval Islam, Arabic Philosophy, Al Andalus (Islamic History), and 91 moreHistory and Philosophy of the Human Sciences, Ismailism, Virgil, Encyclopaedic Literature, Ikhwan al-Safa, History of occult sciences, Comparative Medieval Encyclopaedism, Maslama al-Majriti, The Beginnings of Mystical Philosophy in al-Andalus: Ibn Masarra...more, Al-Andalus, Medieval Islamic, Islamic History, Shams al-Din al-Shahrazuri, Mysticism, Western Esotericism, Hermetic Corpus, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Sufism, Henotheism, Neoplatonism, Iamblichus, Proclus, Sahl al-Tustari, Letter Mysticism, Ibn Masarra, Ibn Al 'Arabi, Mysticism In Al Andalus, Isma'ili Shi'i Traditions, Brethren of Purity, Medieval Literature and Philosophy, History of Ideas Between Latin and Arabic Middle Age, Aristotelian Ethics, Literature and Philosophy In the Age of Lorenzo De'Medici, The Hadith, Islamic Law, Arabic Literature, Biography of the Prophet Muhammad, Koran & Koran Exegesis, Medieval History, Postcolonial Studies, MOOCs, Batinism, Arabic Manuscripts, Plato and Platonism, Islamic Manuscripts, Jewish-Muslim Relations, Kabbalah, Christian Kabbalah, Jewish Mysticism, Medieval Jewish Philosophy, Islamic magic, Islamic Occultism, Islamic Philosophy, Islamic Esotericism, History of Astrology, Demonology, Islamic Esoteric Traditions and Mysticism, Medieval Philosophy, Graeco-Arabic translation movement, Islamic Mysticism, Medieval Magic, philosophical Sufism (school of Ibn 'Arabi), Medieval Islamic History, Islamic Intellectual History, Ibn Arabi, Roger Bacon, Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetica, Picatrix, Byzantine Studies, Late Antiquity, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Medieval Europe, Occult Sciences in Islam, Ottoman Studies, Pythagoreanism, Plato, Warburg Institute, Encyclopedism, Dimitri Gutas, Augustan Poetry, Vergil, Eclogues, Aeneid, Virgil's Aeneid, Ancient Greek Philosophy, Middle Persian literature and language, Pre-Islamic Persian History, Adam and Eve, Al Farabi, Jewish Mysticism/Kababalah, Jewish kalam, and Pythagorasedit
- Godefroid de Callataÿ is Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Oriental Institute of the University of Louva... moreGodefroid de Callataÿ is Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Oriental Institute of the University of Louvain. He has specialized in the history of Arabic sciences and philosophy, and the role played by Islam in the transmission of knowledge from Greek Antiquity to the Latin West during the Middle Ages. Amongst other subjects, he has published extensively on the encyclopaedic corpus known as Rasā’il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā’ (‘Epistles of the Brethren of Purity’). Since October 2017, he also directs "PhilAnd", an ERC Advanced grant project on the emergence of philosophy and rational thinking in al-Andalus. Previously he also co-directed "Speculum Arabicum", another research project focused on the study of medieval encyclopaedic traditions in a comparative way. He is also the author of various articles in line with the pythagoreanism of the Latin poet Virgil. These articles are now all available at: http://discussionsurlamathpyth.lo.gs/recentedit
Reconsidering the influence of the Rasā’il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā’ on Ibn al-Sīd al-Baṭalyawsī’s Kitāb al-dawā’ir, in S. Schmidtke – O. Michaelis (ed.), Religious and Intellectual Diversity in the Islamicate World and Beyond. Essays in Honor of Sarah Stroumsa, Leiden – Boston: Brill, 2024, v 1, pp. 166-189more
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In various places of his extensive production the fifteenth-century littérateur and occultist 'Abd al-Raḥmān al-Bisṭāmī (d. 858/1454) presents a classification of the sciences in the form of a tree. In this paper we discuss four variants... more
In various places of his extensive production the fifteenth-century littérateur and occultist 'Abd al-Raḥmān al-Bisṭāmī (d. 858/1454) presents a classification of the sciences in the form of a tree. In this paper we discuss four variants of this 'tashjīr' representation from four different works of al-Bisṭāmī as they have come down to us in manuscripts. We compare these diagrams with one another, discuss their respective textual environments, and bring al-Bisṭāmī's arboreal representations in line with the classification of the sciences of the Ikhwān al-Ṣafā', their obvious source. By putting this tashjīr representation side by side with other examples of tree-shaped science classifications inside and outside the Islamic world, we seek to better assess al-Bisṭāmī's original contribution in turning the Ikhwān's system of organizing knowledge into a tree-shaped diagram.
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The epistle on animals by the Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ has never ceased to exert a kind of fascination, but the attention of its readers, ancient and modern alike, has hitherto been focused almost exclusively on the fable which it contains and... more
The epistle on animals by the Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ has never ceased to exert a kind of fascination, but the attention of its readers, ancient and modern alike, has hitherto been focused almost exclusively on the fable which it contains and which occupies the greater part of the treatise. In this study, we shall primarily consider the other, non-narrative part of the epistle, sometimes referred to nowadays as a mere 'prologue' to the fable although it is in reality a genuine essay on animal biology in the wake of the Greek, especially Aristotelian, tradition. I shall argue that, even if the authors are profoundly indebted to Aristotle for the theoretical framework and a good part of the content, this part of the epistle cannot be properly understood without acknowledging at the same time the influence of the Pythagorean and Neoplatonic philosophical traditions.
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In the medieval Arabic tradition of the so-called occult sciences, the concept of ramz (symbol, code) has acquired an important role in the way the authors were considering and reading the texts of their predecessors and writing their... more
In the medieval Arabic tradition of the so-called occult sciences, the concept of ramz (symbol, code) has acquired an important role in the way the authors were considering and reading the texts of their predecessors and writing their owns. This term, closely related to the notion of secret, covered various ideas of code: from allegories and allusions to codenames and secret alphabets. Above all, the alchemists made ramz a real topos of their literature. In this paper, we focus on the Rutbat al-ḥakīm of Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī (written in 339-342/950-953) and some of its main sources, such as the corpus of texts attributed to Jābir b. Ḥayyān, Ibn Waḥshiyya's Filāḥa Nabaṭiyya, the Rasā'il Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ and the Risāla Jāmiʿa. We argue that Maslama produced a detailed definition of ramz, conceived a true typology of it, and proposed his own key to reading the alchemical ramz. This rich development is not found in any of the other texts that we have examined here. This observation confirms that Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī, far from being a simple transmitter of Eastern ideas and practices to the Western Arab world, was an original and innovative milestone in the transfer of knowledge.
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Al margen del islam ortodoxo, las Epístolas ofrecen un sistema de pensamiento que, por su punto de vista tolerante y universalista, la amplitud de su campo de pensamiento científico y la meticulosa organización de este conocimiento,... more
Al margen del islam ortodoxo, las Epístolas ofrecen un sistema de pensamiento que, por su punto de vista tolerante y universalista, la amplitud de su campo de pensamiento científico y la meticulosa organización de este conocimiento, resultaba evidentemente atractivo para muchos, dentro y fuera del islam
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Los estudios recientes conducen a una considerable reevaluación del papel desempeñado por el andalusí Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī (muerto en 353/964) en la historia del pensamiento árabe. Además de la figura del maestro en hadiz... more
Los estudios recientes conducen a una considerable reevaluación del papel desempeñado por el andalusí Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī (muerto en 353/964) en la historia del pensamiento árabe. Además de la figura del maestro en hadiz (tradición del Profeta), descubrimos hoy una personalidad compleja, que fue un importante transmisor del saber entre Oriente y la Península Ibérica y autor él mismo de dos de las más importantes obras de ciencias ocultas en Islam
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I l n'est pas contestable que les sources arabes médiévales,-à tout le moins certaines d'entre elles-, constituent, avec l'iconographie antique, notre meilleur support documentaire pour déterminer à quoi devait ressembler le Phare... more
I l n'est pas contestable que les sources arabes médiévales,-à tout le moins certaines d'entre elles-, constituent, avec l'iconographie antique, notre meilleur support documentaire pour déterminer à quoi devait ressembler le Phare d'Alexandrie avant son écroulement. Sur deux aspects au moins, le témoignage des sources arabes se révèle essentiel, et même souvent irremplaçable. Le premier aspect relève de l'histoire du monument. Les textes arabes du Moyen Âge nous livrent nombre de renseignements intéressants sur des accidents survenus à telle ou telle partie de l'édifice, sur les réparations décidées ou entreprises par tel ou tel souverain, sur des modifications apportées à tel ou tel élément de la construction. Ces informations-là offrent en général un haut degré de fiabilité. Parfois même, des événements importants ont été consignés par des témoins directs, comme ce tremblement de terre qui affecta la partie supérieure du Phare en 955 et que Masʻūdī, dans son Tanbīh, affirme avoir lui-même ressenti alors qu'il se trouvait à Fusṭāṭ.
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References to angels and, more generally, to spiritual beings are found throughout the Rasā'il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā'. This is hardly surprising considering the resolute determination of the Brethren of Purity to reconcile the message of the... more
References to angels and, more generally, to spiritual beings are found throughout the Rasā'il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā'. This is hardly surprising considering the resolute determination of the Brethren of Purity to reconcile the message of the Qur'ānic revelation with the philosophical explanation of the world inherited from Neoplatonic philosophy. The emanation theory as elaborated by the Ikhwān implies that angels occupy every part of God's creation. 2 Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to say that the search for means by which to acquire the status of angels is the most fundamental objective of what the Brethren called the 'spiritual philosophy' (al-falsafa al-rūḥāniyya) and, therefore, is the principal raison d'être of the corpus itself. 3 In spite of being 'God's vice-regent on the earth', in the Brethren's account man occupies an intermediary position in the hierarchy of beings. In Epistle 28, for in-1 Research for this article benefited from the support of both the ARC project 'Speculum Arabicum: Objectifying the contribution of the Arab-Muslim world to the history of sciences and ideas: the sources and resources of medieval encyclopaedism' ('Communauté française de Belgique-Actions de Recherche Concertées 2012-2017') and the ERC project 'The origin and early development of philosophy in tenth-century al-Andalus: the impact of ill-defined materials and channels of transmission' (ERC-2016-ADG, n. 740618, 2017-2022) currently underway at the University of Louvain (UCLouvain). I wish to thank Anna Caiozzo for various suggestions made on an earlier draft of the present paper.
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The Ġāyat al-ḥakīm (“the Aim of the Sage”), the Arab ancestor of the celebrated Picatrix on astral magic, includes a curious tenfold classification of the sciences, with five disciplines said to be compulsory “for the legislators” and... more
The Ġāyat al-ḥakīm (“the Aim of the Sage”), the Arab ancestor of the celebrated Picatrix on astral magic, includes a curious tenfold classification of the sciences, with five disciplines said to be compulsory “for the legislators” and five “for the philosopher”. This classification was once described by Hellmut Ritter and Martin Plessner as “ein
Unikum in der umfangreichen Einteilungsliteratur”. This paper is a survey of medieval texts concerned with a tenfold classification of the sciences, ranging from a wide collection of sources including the world chronicles of Agapius and Girgīs al-Makīn, the Ādāb al-falāsifa, the Sindbādnāma, the Pseudo-Avicennian alchemical De anima, and Roger Bacon’s edition of the Secretum Secretorum. It appears from this survey that the Ādāb al-falāsifa certainly played a crucial role in the transmission of these traditions,
but that other texts, in particular amongst the Pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica, may have been influential as well. Regarding the ultimate origin of this material we are reduced to mere speculations, although various elements invite us to consider Middle Persian literature as a more plausible formative stage than Greek literature in the conception
of tenfold classifications of knowledge.
Unikum in der umfangreichen Einteilungsliteratur”. This paper is a survey of medieval texts concerned with a tenfold classification of the sciences, ranging from a wide collection of sources including the world chronicles of Agapius and Girgīs al-Makīn, the Ādāb al-falāsifa, the Sindbādnāma, the Pseudo-Avicennian alchemical De anima, and Roger Bacon’s edition of the Secretum Secretorum. It appears from this survey that the Ādāb al-falāsifa certainly played a crucial role in the transmission of these traditions,
but that other texts, in particular amongst the Pseudo-Aristotelian Hermetica, may have been influential as well. Regarding the ultimate origin of this material we are reduced to mere speculations, although various elements invite us to consider Middle Persian literature as a more plausible formative stage than Greek literature in the conception
of tenfold classifications of knowledge.
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This study aims to reconsider the impact of the Rasāʾil Iḫwān al-Ṣafāʾ on the Rutbat al-ḥakīm (The Rank of the Sage) and the Ġāyat al-ḥakīm (The Aim of the Sage). Exclusively concerned with textual evidence taken from the three works and... more
This study aims to reconsider the impact of the Rasāʾil Iḫwān al-Ṣafāʾ on the Rutbat al-ḥakīm (The Rank of the Sage) and the Ġāyat al-ḥakīm (The Aim of the Sage). Exclusively concerned with textual evidence taken from the three works and making extensive use of the programme Qawl, it shows that the way Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī refers to the Iḫwānian corpus in the Rutba reveals a far less familiarity with that work than at the time he writes the Ġāya. This difference of treatment suggests that, contrary to what was previously assumed, Maslama had no access to the text of the Rasāʾil before he started writing his ultimate treatise.
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This article is concerned with the introduction of the Rasa’il Ikhwan al-Safa’ to al-Andalus, and the implication this question has for the history of Arabic science and philosophy. More specifically, it focuses on the impact of the... more
This article is concerned with the introduction of the Rasa’il Ikhwan al-Safa’ to al-Andalus, and the implication this question has for the history of Arabic science and philosophy. More specifically, it focuses on the impact of the encyclopaedia of the Brethren of Purity on the Rutbat al-hakim and the Ghayat al-hakim, two important works of the literature of al-Andalus in the field of occult sciences. The article revisits the issue of authorship and chronology of the three works, highlighting the fact that the corpus of the Rasa’il is the product of a historically long process of composition and confirming with some new clues the identification of the author of the Rutba and the Ghaya with Maslama al-Qurtubi (d. 964). The textual comparison of these three works and, in particular, the study of the still unedited Rutba enables one to identify Maslama al-Qurtubi as the genuine transmitter of the Ikhwanian corpus to al-Andalus.
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Does the famous animal fable, as narrated by the Ikhwān al-Ṣafā' in Epistle 22 of their Rasā'il, possess an inner meaning? The issue is not new, but it may be useful to address it again today, considering the recent, significant... more
Does the famous animal fable, as narrated by the Ikhwān al-Ṣafā' in
Epistle 22 of their Rasā'il, possess an inner meaning? The issue is not
new, but it may be useful to address it again today, considering the
recent, significant re-evaluation of the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity
in the overall history of medieval thinking. It is also important to return
to this issue since it was largely left aside by the editors of Epistle 22 who are part of the ongoing project by Oxford University and the Ismaili
Institute to critically edit the entire collection of the Rasā'il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā'. In the present article, I argue that the Ikhwān’s animal fable does
indeed contain an esoteric level of reading and that it must be understood in line with the Brethren’s Isma‘ili or Isma‘ili-like aspirations but also, and more importantly, with their wish to take an approach as universal and syncretic as possible. The following motifs are discussed in detail: a) God’s Intimates; b) Seventy / Seventy-Two; c) Seven; d) Ya‘sūb, Commander of the Bees; e) the Return of the Conjunction; f) Equator.
Epistle 22 of their Rasā'il, possess an inner meaning? The issue is not
new, but it may be useful to address it again today, considering the
recent, significant re-evaluation of the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity
in the overall history of medieval thinking. It is also important to return
to this issue since it was largely left aside by the editors of Epistle 22 who are part of the ongoing project by Oxford University and the Ismaili
Institute to critically edit the entire collection of the Rasā'il Ikhwān al-Ṣafā'. In the present article, I argue that the Ikhwān’s animal fable does
indeed contain an esoteric level of reading and that it must be understood in line with the Brethren’s Isma‘ili or Isma‘ili-like aspirations but also, and more importantly, with their wish to take an approach as universal and syncretic as possible. The following motifs are discussed in detail: a) God’s Intimates; b) Seventy / Seventy-Two; c) Seven; d) Ya‘sūb, Commander of the Bees; e) the Return of the Conjunction; f) Equator.
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Recent scholarship has brought important new insights into the chronology of the writing and dissemination of the Rasāʾil Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ ('Epistles of the Brethren of Purity'). This new chronological perspective prompts us also to... more
Recent scholarship has brought important new insights into the chronology of the writing and dissemination of the Rasāʾil Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ ('Epistles of the Brethren of Purity'). This new chronological perspective prompts us also to reappraise the pioneering role of the Ikhwān with regard to the problem of classifying knowledge. The first part of this paper will be devoted to this issue. We shall reexamine the tripartite division of science as purposefully designed by the Ikhwān in Epistle 7, as well as another classification in the form of an allegorical fable as found in Epistle 26, and which the Ikhwān have derived from Persian literature. The second part of our contribution will focus on the tenfold classification put forward by Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī (d. 353/964), now correctly identified as the genuine author of the Ghāyat al-ḥakīm ('The Aim of the Sage') and the Rutbat al-ḥakīm ('the Scale of the Sage') and, in all likelihood, as the scholar through whom the Rasāʾil Ikhwān al-Ṣafā' were first introduced into al-Andalus.
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The Ṭabaqāt al-umam opens with an account of the seven primeval nations taken from Masʿūdī’s Tanbīh. At the end of Ṣāʿid’s version, however, we are told that “these seven nations, which together constituted the whole of mankind, were all... more
The Ṭabaqāt al-umam opens with an account of the seven primeval nations taken from Masʿūdī’s Tanbīh. At the end of Ṣāʿid’s version, however, we are told that “these seven nations, which together constituted the whole of mankind, were all Ṣābiʾans” – an indication not found in the Oriental model. Several references to Ṣābiʾans also appear in the core of the Ṭabaqāt, a definitely more original section of the work in which the author reports the achievements of the eight nations (Indians, Persians, Chaldeans, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Arabs, and Jews) which in his view contributed to the improvement of science. The present paper examines all these passages. We try to determine where the author of the Ṭabaqāt situates these groups of Ṣābiʾans in the overall history of the nations, and we ask ourselves to what extent these groups may be regarded as continuators or remnants of the primordial Ṣābiʾans.
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The present contribution is the natural continuation of several studies recently devoted to the reception of the Ras…’il Ikhw…n al-Ÿaf…’ in al-Andalus and whose results imply a thorough reconsideration of the chronology still prevailing... more
The present contribution is the natural continuation of several studies recently devoted to the reception of the Ras…’il Ikhw…n al-Ÿaf…’ in al-Andalus and whose results imply a thorough reconsideration of the chronology still prevailing in modern scholarship for both the original compilation of the corpus and its introduction in the western part of the Islamic world in the Middle Ages. The purpose of the present essay is to focus on the works of al-Andalus which appear to have referred to the Ikhwān or to their encyclopaedic corpus under the form of disguised and secret allusions. Although not aiming at being exhaustive, the present survey includes texts from Ibn Masarra, Maslama al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Baṭalyawsī, Ibn Ṭufayl and Ibn ‘Arabī. This selection of texts is
clear evidence of the fact that the Brethren’s encyclopaedia widely circulated through the Iberian Peninsula, and this from a date much earlier than has been acknowledged in modern scholarship thus far.
clear evidence of the fact that the Brethren’s encyclopaedia widely circulated through the Iberian Peninsula, and this from a date much earlier than has been acknowledged in modern scholarship thus far.
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Virtually unknown two decades ago, Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī (d. 353/964) is today acknowledged as the genuine author of both the Rutbat al-ḥakīm and the Ghāyat al-ḥakīm/Picatrix and, in all likelihood, as the man by whom the... more
Virtually unknown two decades ago, Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī (d. 353/964) is today acknowledged as the genuine author of both the Rutbat al-ḥakīm and the Ghāyat al-ḥakīm/Picatrix and, in all likelihood, as the man by whom the encyclopaedic corpus of the Rasāʾil Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʾ was introduced into al-Andalus. In the early 30s of the tenth century, Maslama al-Qurṭubī travelled extensively through the Middle East and pursued there his education under a great number of reputed masters. Through a thorough investigation of the sources at hand, the present paper seeks to reconstrue the various steps of this riḥla by establishing a comprehensive list of the scholars Maslama met with in the Orient. Among the main novelties of this investigation, one points out Maslama’s meeting with Qāsim b. Muṭarrif al-Qaṭṭān, who is commonly regarded by the historians of Arabic science as the author of the first treatise of astronomy ever compiled in al-Andalus.
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This article is focused on the manuscript tradition of the Rutbat al-.ak.m, an alchemical treatise written in al-Andalus by Maslama b. Q.sim al-Qur.ub. in 339/950-342/953. The authors also describe new manuscripts of the work, including... more
This article is focused on the manuscript tradition of the Rutbat al-.ak.m, an alchemical treatise written in al-Andalus by Maslama b. Q.sim al-Qur.ub. in 339/950-342/953. The authors also describe new manuscripts of the work, including one among the earliest in the tradition of the Rutba, remained unknown until now. At the end of the article, new elements are provided about the dating of the Rutba as found in manuscripts.
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La rivista è disponibile online su «Mirabile. Archivio digitale della cultura latina medievale»: www.mirabileweb.it. Ch. Burnett, On Judging and Doing in Arabic and Latin Texts on Astrology and Divination - D. Jacquart, Quelques propos... more
La rivista è disponibile online su «Mirabile. Archivio digitale della cultura latina medievale»: www.mirabileweb.it.
Ch. Burnett, On Judging and Doing in Arabic and Latin Texts on Astrology and Divination - D. Jacquart, Quelques propos introductifs: la confluence des sources grecques et arabes dans l'Occident médiéval latin. PRACTICAL SCIENCES. J. Chandelier, Le concept de maladie chronique, des Grecs aux Arabes et des Arabes aux Latins - M. R. McVaugh, Why Rhazes? - M. Pereira, Projecting Perfection. Remarks on the Origin of the "Alchemy of the Elixir" - A. Djebbar, La circulation de l'algèbre arabe en Europe et son impact - M. Abattouy, The Corpus of Mechanics of Al-Isfizar?: its Structure and Signification in the Context of Arabic Mechanics. DIVINATION, MAGIC, ASTROLOGY. D. Juste, The Impact of Arabic Sources on European Astrology: Some Facts and Numbers - J.-P. Boudet, Les comètes dans le Centiloquium et le De cometis du pseudo-Ptolémée - N. Weill-Parot, Devenirs de la magie astrale hermétique arabe dans le monde latin: signification "culturelle" d'une utilisation (XII e- XVe siècle) - G. de Callataÿ, Who were the Readers of the Rasa 'il Ikhwanal-Safa'? - M. Bagheri, Kushyar ibn Labban's Mathematical Approach in His Astronomical Handbook - Shi Yunli Zhu Haohao, Calculating the Fate of Chinese Dynasties with the Islamic Method: The Chinese Study and Application of Arabic Astrology in the 17th Century. RECEPTION AND ORGANIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE. I. Ventura, Medieval Pharmacy and the Arabic Heritage: the Salernitan Collection Circa instans - V. Boudon-Millot, L'apport des traducteurs arabes dans le débat sur l'authenticité des traités galéniques - J.-M. Mandosio, The Use of al-Kindî's Treatise On Rays in Peter of Zealand's Elucidation of Marvelous Things (End of the 15th Century) - M. Yano, Eastern Perspective of the Conference - A.Paravicini Bagliani, Western Perspective of the Conference. Indexes by D. Jacquart and A. Paravicini Bagliani
Ch. Burnett, On Judging and Doing in Arabic and Latin Texts on Astrology and Divination - D. Jacquart, Quelques propos introductifs: la confluence des sources grecques et arabes dans l'Occident médiéval latin. PRACTICAL SCIENCES. J. Chandelier, Le concept de maladie chronique, des Grecs aux Arabes et des Arabes aux Latins - M. R. McVaugh, Why Rhazes? - M. Pereira, Projecting Perfection. Remarks on the Origin of the "Alchemy of the Elixir" - A. Djebbar, La circulation de l'algèbre arabe en Europe et son impact - M. Abattouy, The Corpus of Mechanics of Al-Isfizar?: its Structure and Signification in the Context of Arabic Mechanics. DIVINATION, MAGIC, ASTROLOGY. D. Juste, The Impact of Arabic Sources on European Astrology: Some Facts and Numbers - J.-P. Boudet, Les comètes dans le Centiloquium et le De cometis du pseudo-Ptolémée - N. Weill-Parot, Devenirs de la magie astrale hermétique arabe dans le monde latin: signification "culturelle" d'une utilisation (XII e- XVe siècle) - G. de Callataÿ, Who were the Readers of the Rasa 'il Ikhwanal-Safa'? - M. Bagheri, Kushyar ibn Labban's Mathematical Approach in His Astronomical Handbook - Shi Yunli Zhu Haohao, Calculating the Fate of Chinese Dynasties with the Islamic Method: The Chinese Study and Application of Arabic Astrology in the 17th Century. RECEPTION AND ORGANIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE. I. Ventura, Medieval Pharmacy and the Arabic Heritage: the Salernitan Collection Circa instans - V. Boudon-Millot, L'apport des traducteurs arabes dans le débat sur l'authenticité des traités galéniques - J.-M. Mandosio, The Use of al-Kindî's Treatise On Rays in Peter of Zealand's Elucidation of Marvelous Things (End of the 15th Century) - M. Yano, Eastern Perspective of the Conference - A.Paravicini Bagliani, Western Perspective of the Conference. Indexes by D. Jacquart and A. Paravicini Bagliani
Research Interests: Medieval Philosophy, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, Medieval Science, Medieval Islam, and 23 moreMedieval Europe, Arabic Philosophy, Histoire des idées et de la pensée, Medieval Arabic Philosophy, Medieval Astronomy, Storia medievale, Histoire Des Sciences, Histoire Médiévale, Medieval Alchemy, Histoire des sciences et de la philosophie médiévales, The History of Ancient and Medieval Pharmacy/materia Medica, Medieval Astrology, Medioevo, Astral Magic, Medieval Astrology and Magic, History of medieval mathematics, Medieval Medicine, Astrology and Astronomy, Storia Della Filosofia Medievale, Storia culturale e sociale del Medioevo, Storia Della Scienza, Medieval Central Asia and Iran, Medieval Knowledge, Transmission of Medieval Arabic Science, and Medieval Arabic-Latin Translations
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This article is focused on the manuscript tradition of the Rutbat al-ḥakīm, an alchemical treatise written in al-Andalus by Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī in 339/950-342/953. The authors also describe new manuscripts of the work, including... more
This article is focused on the manuscript tradition of the Rutbat al-ḥakīm, an alchemical treatise written in al-Andalus by Maslama b. Qāsim al-Qurṭubī in 339/950-342/953. The
authors also describe new manuscripts of the work, including one among the earliest in the tradition of the Rutba, remained unknown until now. At the end of the article, new elements are provided about the dating of the Rutba as found in manuscripts.
authors also describe new manuscripts of the work, including one among the earliest in the tradition of the Rutba, remained unknown until now. At the end of the article, new elements are provided about the dating of the Rutba as found in manuscripts.
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Jérusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 41 (2014), pp. 261-312
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Research Interests:
Epistles 6 to 8 are from the first division of the Epistles, on the propaedeutical and mathematical sciences. Epistle 6 develops ideas concerning natural numbers and their arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic proportions, marked by the... more
Epistles 6 to 8 are from the first division of the Epistles, on the propaedeutical and mathematical sciences. Epistle 6 develops ideas concerning natural numbers and their arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic proportions, marked by the influence of Nicomachus of Gerasa and of Euclid. The Brethren here emphasize practical applications of proportionality in music, medicine, and alchemy. Epistle 7 addresses theoretical scientific knowledge as directed towards the spiritual realities of souls, the goal of which is to actualize human potential; this epistle also presents a remarkable classification of sciences. Epistle 8 surveys material cultures in the Islamicate mediaeval milieu, embellished by a consideration of the effects of the heavenly bodies on the predisposition of individuals to follow specific trades. These three epistles are underpinned by the Brethren's perennial tropes of the microcosm-microcosm analogy and the emanative hierarchy of existents.
Research Interests:
Miroir et Savoir : la transmission d'un thème platonicien, des Alexandrins à la philosophie arabo-musulmane, Actes du Symposium international de Leuven - Louvain-la-Neuve (17 et 18 novembre 2005), Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (Series 1.38), Leuven : Universitaire Pers, 2008, x-310 p. ISBN : 9789058676702more
Gorgias Press is delighted to announce the launch of its new inter-disciplinary book series Islamic History and Thought. The series will provide a platform for scholarly research on any geographic area within the expansive Islamic world,... more
Gorgias Press is delighted to announce the launch of its new inter-disciplinary book series Islamic History and Thought. The series will provide a platform for scholarly research on any geographic area within the expansive Islamic world, stretching from the Mediterranean to China, and dated to any period from the eve of Islam until the early modern era.
Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, History, Islamic Law, Philosophy Of Religion, and 27 moreOttoman History, Middle East Studies, Aramaic, Islamic Philosophy, Kalam (Islamic Theology), Islamic Education, Medieval Islam, Eastern Christianity, Turkish and Middle East Studies, Islamic Art, Islamic Studies, Women and Gender Issues in Islam, Middle Eastern Studies, Syriac Studies, Islamic History, Islam, Islamic Political Thought, Middle East Politics, Muslim-Christian Relation, Judaism, Christian-Muslim Dialogue, Syriac Christianity, Islamic History and Muslim Civilization, Women and gender in Muslim societies, Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle Ages, Muslims, and Muslim philosophy and thought
Explore the spiritual and magical beliefs of cultures, from ancient Egypt to modern Japan, as we discuss gods, the universe, cosmos, dreams and so much more! Join our enthusiastic team of more than 20 teachers from Université... more
Explore the spiritual and magical beliefs of cultures, from ancient Egypt to modern Japan, as we discuss gods, the universe, cosmos, dreams and so much more!
Join our enthusiastic team of more than 20 teachers from Université Catholique de Louvain in an exciting journey, starting on May 3, 2018, thanks to our self-paced MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions».
It is informative, funny and completely free. And there are absolutely no pre-requisites, except your own enthusiasm and sense of curiosity!
Enroll on edX: https://www.edx.org/course/oriental-beliefs-between-reason-and-traditions
Have you seen our social media yet?
That’s the place where you can get a sneak preview of all what you’ll be discovering through our MOOC «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions »!
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/orientalbeliefs/
Twitter https://twitter.com/OrientalBeliefs
Youtube Discover our MOOC and share our Teaser video
Join our enthusiastic team of more than 20 teachers from Université Catholique de Louvain in an exciting journey, starting on May 3, 2018, thanks to our self-paced MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions».
It is informative, funny and completely free. And there are absolutely no pre-requisites, except your own enthusiasm and sense of curiosity!
Enroll on edX: https://www.edx.org/course/oriental-beliefs-between-reason-and-traditions
Have you seen our social media yet?
That’s the place where you can get a sneak preview of all what you’ll be discovering through our MOOC «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions »!
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/orientalbeliefs/
Twitter https://twitter.com/OrientalBeliefs
Youtube Discover our MOOC and share our Teaser video
Research Interests: Buddhism, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Japanese Studies, Jewish Studies, Chinese Studies, and 14 moreIndian studies, Early Christianity, History of Religions, Mesopotamian Religions, Faith, Islam, Ancient Greek Religion, Tibetan Buddhism, Beliefs, Judaism, Oriental Studies, Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, Beliefs and attitudes, and History of Oriental studies
MOOC "Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions", to start on 4 October 2016 You’re passionate about Oriental cultures, past and present? You’re fascinated by myths, beliefs and mysteries? If so, join our enthusiastic team of more... more
MOOC "Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions", to start on 4 October 2016
You’re passionate about Oriental cultures, past and present? You’re fascinated by myths, beliefs and mysteries? If so, join our enthusiastic team of more than 20 experts in an exciting 8-week journey, starting on 4 October 2016, thanks to our MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions». It is informative, it is fun and it is completely free. Enroll on EdX platform: https://www.edx.org/course/oriental-beliefs-between-reason-louvainx-louv19x
About this course
This course takes a journey through the world of beliefs as they have developed in a great variety of cultures, ranging from Ancient Egypt, the Near East to Central Asia, India, China, and the Far East. We will discuss where these beliefs, theories and practices originated from, how they were passed on over the ages and why some are still so central to large communities of believers across the world today, whether it be amongst Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or Shintoists.
We'll be dealing with everything from gods and spirits, to angels and demons, to afterlife and the netherworld, as well as the great cycles of the universe and the tremendous power of lunar and solar eclipses. The interpretation of dreams and all sorts of magic and miraculous deeds will also be covered during this course.
Students will have the opportunity to travel extensively in time and space. The comparative, critical and contextualized approach of this course will allow for a valuable and thought-provoking experience.
We are a course team of about twenty-five specialists working at, or in close interaction with, the Department of Greek, Latin and Oriental Studies (GLOR) at the University of Louvain. We are all historians or philologists, all passionate about our respective fields of expertise, and all fully determined to help you as much as we can as we progress through this course. Most of all, we're looking forward to "meeting" you and to having lively discussions with you on the forums.
If you're curious about the cultures of this world, past and present, this course is definitely for you. Put your wings on and get ready to ride on our “GLOR-ious” dragon and to enjoy the whole adventure with us!
Join us also on Facebook
Have you seen our Facebook page yet? That’s the place where you can get a sneak peak of all what you’ll be discovering through our MOOC «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions »! Take a step into this marvelous scientific trip around Japan, India, Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and many more… and you’ll encounter an impressive number of angels, demons and fabulous tales along the way! https://www.facebook.com/orientalbeliefs/
You’re passionate about Oriental cultures, past and present? You’re fascinated by myths, beliefs and mysteries? If so, join our enthusiastic team of more than 20 experts in an exciting 8-week journey, starting on 4 October 2016, thanks to our MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions». It is informative, it is fun and it is completely free. Enroll on EdX platform: https://www.edx.org/course/oriental-beliefs-between-reason-louvainx-louv19x
About this course
This course takes a journey through the world of beliefs as they have developed in a great variety of cultures, ranging from Ancient Egypt, the Near East to Central Asia, India, China, and the Far East. We will discuss where these beliefs, theories and practices originated from, how they were passed on over the ages and why some are still so central to large communities of believers across the world today, whether it be amongst Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or Shintoists.
We'll be dealing with everything from gods and spirits, to angels and demons, to afterlife and the netherworld, as well as the great cycles of the universe and the tremendous power of lunar and solar eclipses. The interpretation of dreams and all sorts of magic and miraculous deeds will also be covered during this course.
Students will have the opportunity to travel extensively in time and space. The comparative, critical and contextualized approach of this course will allow for a valuable and thought-provoking experience.
We are a course team of about twenty-five specialists working at, or in close interaction with, the Department of Greek, Latin and Oriental Studies (GLOR) at the University of Louvain. We are all historians or philologists, all passionate about our respective fields of expertise, and all fully determined to help you as much as we can as we progress through this course. Most of all, we're looking forward to "meeting" you and to having lively discussions with you on the forums.
If you're curious about the cultures of this world, past and present, this course is definitely for you. Put your wings on and get ready to ride on our “GLOR-ious” dragon and to enjoy the whole adventure with us!
Join us also on Facebook
Have you seen our Facebook page yet? That’s the place where you can get a sneak peak of all what you’ll be discovering through our MOOC «Oriental Beliefs: Between Reason and Traditions »! Take a step into this marvelous scientific trip around Japan, India, Egypt, China, Mesopotamia and many more… and you’ll encounter an impressive number of angels, demons and fabulous tales along the way! https://www.facebook.com/orientalbeliefs/
Research Interests: Christianity, Buddhism, Egyptology, Arabic Literature, Near Eastern Studies, and 29 moreAnatolian Studies, Neoplatonism and late antique philosophy, Japanese Religions, Chinese Religions, Medieval Studies, Tibetan Studies, Iranian Studies, Alchemy, Shinto Studies, History of Astrology, Ancient Religion, Islamic Studies, Mesopotamian Religions, Greek Epic, Ancient Near East, Ancient Greek Religion, Tibetan Buddhism, Ancient Greek History, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Ancient Iranian Religion, Orientalism, Magic and Divination in the Ancient World, Ancient magic, Oriental Studies, Miraculous Images, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Romance Languages and Literatures, Graeco-Roman Religion, and Muqattam
Research Interests:
Call for applications 1 one-year post-doc position at UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) as part of the Advanced ERC project "The origin and early development of philosophy in tenthcentury al-Andalus: the impact of ill-defined... more
Call for applications 1 one-year post-doc position at UCLouvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) as part of the Advanced ERC project "The origin and early development of philosophy in tenthcentury al-Andalus: the impact of ill-defined materials and channels of transmission" (PhilAnd) conducted by Prof. Godefroid de Callataÿ. PhilAnd is a six-year Advanced ERC project started in October 2017 at UCLouvain under the supervision of Prof. Godefroid de Callataÿ. The objective of PhilAnd is to conduct a large-scale exploration of how, and under which form, philosophy appeared for the first time in al-Andalus. At the crossroads of several major lines of enquiries in modern scholarship and in line with recent discoveries having important chronological implications, PhilAnd focuses on the 10 th century, a period usually disregarded by historians on the assumption that philosophy as such was not cultivated in the Iberian Peninsula before the 11 th-12 th centuries. Its originality is also to put emphasis on 'ill-defined' materials and channels of transmission, a field which remains largely unexplored. PhilAnd is conducted in partnership with the Warburg Institute (University of London). More info at: https://sites.uclouvain.be/erc-philand/
Research Interests:
1 Post-doc position at the Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) as part of the Advanced ERC project " The origin and early development of philosophy in tenth-century al-Andalus: the impact of ill-defined materials... more
1 Post-doc position at the Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) as part of the Advanced ERC project " The origin and early development of philosophy in tenth-century al-Andalus: the impact of ill-defined materials and channels of transmission " (PhilAnd) conducted by Prof. Godefroid de Callataÿ.
Research Interests:
3 Post-doc positions at the Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) as part of the Advanced ERC project " The origin and early development of philosophy in tenth-century al-Andalus: the impact of ill-defined materials... more
3 Post-doc positions at the Université catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) as part of the Advanced ERC project " The origin and early development of philosophy in tenth-century al-Andalus: the impact of ill-defined materials and channels of transmission " (PhilAnd) conducted by Prof. Godefroid de Callataÿ.
The objective of PhilAnd is to conduct a large-scale exploration of how, and under which form, philosophy appeared for the first time in al-Andalus. This issue is pivotal to understanding the history of sciences and ideas, and the role of the Arab-Muslim world in this transfer to Medieval Europe. Its relevance today also lies in the fact that it addresses questions of cultural and religious identities, since the formative stage of philosophy in al-Andalus proved decisive in shaping the intellectual background of many later authors from the Peninsula, whether Muslims, Jews, or Christians. At the crossroads of several major lines of enquiries in modern scholarship and in line with recent discoveries having important chronological implications, PhilAnd focuses on the 10th century, a period usually disregarded by historians on the assumption that philosophy as such was not cultivated in the Iberian Peninsula before the 11th-12th centuries. Its originality is also to put emphasis on ‘ill-defined’ materials and channels of transmission, a field which remains largely unexplored. This project consists of five topics designed for highly-specialised scholars working in close interaction, and of another three transversal types of exploration conducted in the form of conferences convened with leading experts in the world.
The final objectives are to test the hypothesis: 1) that the emergence of philosophy in al-Andalus significantly predates the currently accepted time; and 2) that the impact of this formative stage was considerably wider than commonly acknowledged. This project also seeks to provide a better evaluation of the originality of the first Andalusī philosophers with respect to their Oriental forerunners.
This cutting-edge investigation is likely to stimulate major changes in our perception of how this primeval stage of philosophy in al-Andalus determined the subsequent developments of rational speculation among the three monotheistic communities of the Peninsula and, through them, the cultural and intellectual formation of Europe.
The objective of PhilAnd is to conduct a large-scale exploration of how, and under which form, philosophy appeared for the first time in al-Andalus. This issue is pivotal to understanding the history of sciences and ideas, and the role of the Arab-Muslim world in this transfer to Medieval Europe. Its relevance today also lies in the fact that it addresses questions of cultural and religious identities, since the formative stage of philosophy in al-Andalus proved decisive in shaping the intellectual background of many later authors from the Peninsula, whether Muslims, Jews, or Christians. At the crossroads of several major lines of enquiries in modern scholarship and in line with recent discoveries having important chronological implications, PhilAnd focuses on the 10th century, a period usually disregarded by historians on the assumption that philosophy as such was not cultivated in the Iberian Peninsula before the 11th-12th centuries. Its originality is also to put emphasis on ‘ill-defined’ materials and channels of transmission, a field which remains largely unexplored. This project consists of five topics designed for highly-specialised scholars working in close interaction, and of another three transversal types of exploration conducted in the form of conferences convened with leading experts in the world.
The final objectives are to test the hypothesis: 1) that the emergence of philosophy in al-Andalus significantly predates the currently accepted time; and 2) that the impact of this formative stage was considerably wider than commonly acknowledged. This project also seeks to provide a better evaluation of the originality of the first Andalusī philosophers with respect to their Oriental forerunners.
This cutting-edge investigation is likely to stimulate major changes in our perception of how this primeval stage of philosophy in al-Andalus determined the subsequent developments of rational speculation among the three monotheistic communities of the Peninsula and, through them, the cultural and intellectual formation of Europe.
Research Interests:
This course takes a journey through the world of beliefs as they have developed in a great variety of cultures, ranging from Ancient Egypt, the Near East to Central Asia, India, China, and the Far East. We will discuss where these... more
This course takes a journey through the world of beliefs as they have developed in a great variety of cultures, ranging from Ancient Egypt, the Near East to Central Asia, India, China, and the Far East. We will discuss where these beliefs, theories and practices originated from, how they were passed on over the ages and why some are still so central to large communities of believers across the world today, whether it be amongst Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists or Shintoists. We'll be dealing with everything from gods and spirits, to angels and demons, to afterlife and the netherworld, as well as the great cycles of the universe and the tremendous power of lunar and solar eclipses. The interpretation of dreams and all sorts of magic and miraculous deeds will also be covered during this course. Students will have the opportunity to travel extensively in time and space. The comparative, critical and contextualized approach of this course will allow for a valuable and thought-provoking experience. We are a course team of about twenty-five specialists working at, or in close interaction with, the Department of Greek, Latin and Oriental Studies (GLOR) at the University of Louvain. We are all historians or philologists, all passionate about our respective fields of expertise, and all fully determined to help you as much as we can as we progress through this course. Most of all, we're looking forward to "meeting" you and to having lively discussions with you on the forums. If you're curious about the cultures of this world, past and present, this course is definitely for you. Put your wings on and get ready to ride on our " GLORious " dragon and to enjoy the whole adventure with us!
Research Interests:
Programme of the PhilAnd Conference held at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (29 March - 1 April 2022) as part of PhilAnd ERC project