The Book Depository Ibn Tufayl's Hayy Ibn Yaqzan by Ibn Tufayl
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Price: £19.00
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: Ibn Tufayl's Hayy Ibn Yaqzan : Paperback : The University of Chicago Press : 9780226303109 : 0226303101 : 15 Nov 2009 : The Arabic philosophical fable Hayy Ibn Yaqzan is a classic of medieval Islamic philosophy. This book places Hayy Ibn Yaqzan in its historical and philosophical context. The Book Depository Ibn Tufayl's Hayy Ibn Yaqzan by Ibn Tufayl - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9780226303109
MPN: 0226303101
GTIN: 9780226303109
Author: Writer
Rating: 5
Review: The book has 238 pages. The actual text of the translation of this parable is at 95-166 of which the first few pages are an introduction by the author himself. The actual story is at pages 103-166, so fairly short. The rest of the book is notes and introductions. It is a deep philosophical story (for details and summary see other reviews on Amazon). What is clear however is that to understand this literature some background and familiarity with the philosophical debates of the era (Ghazali v Ibn Sina etc) are important and so the typical and likely reader will be students of Islam/Oriental Studies/Arabic/Theology/Philosophy etc. The translator clearly tries to bring this story to a wider audience by adding extensive explanations and with some keen interest also an educated interested "lay" reader could enjoy the novel. I enjoyed reading it and it reflects on the philosophical depth Islamic tradition has to offer and made more interested in learning more about it.
Author: G M T Brosius
Rating: 2
Review: The only saving grace of this book is the author's introduction which literally comprises half of it! The notes in the appendix does an adequate job of interpreting the prose by Ibn Tufyl's Persian epic (which is widely held in great esteem in that culture), but this becomes tedious. This is why I have rated it 2 stars. Interestingly, Ibn Tufyl was born in Islamic Spain, outside Granada in the 12th a.d.. When Tufyl retired from his governorship another philosopher would take his place, Ibn Rushd, otherwise known as Averroes. The tale which Tufyl writes is to explain the meaning of human existence according to philosophical ideas. The place of the tale is on a fictional island, where one man lives in solitude, having been raised and nurtured by animals. His life is one of constant pursuit of intellect, knowledge and wisdom on how he (man) can find or attain fulfillment. His pursuit of these virtues occurs in the mysticism of 7 stages. Furthermore, Ibn Tufyl discusses the importance of 'free will' and the 3 types of religion which I did find interesting to understand. The religion of rational, mass, and mystical are comprehended by different questions for each of their followers. Respectively, " How is it possible for men to know God?", "Believes that God has made himself known through speech of prophets and his Son.", and lastly the mystic has no problem knowing God. It is he "whom is a constant friend and a lover." In the introduction (by the translator), I found this the most interesting and a reason why I would recommend reading this book. Man finds Truth based upon his own circumstances. In these circumstances, into the depths he may fall; in the heights he may climb out of that depth. It is for him to choose himself, and it is that choice that he also chooses for the world. As Thoreau states "the mind must follow its own path." He can learn something while being alone, to withdraw and meditate in order to have balance with the rest of life.
