The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam

"It is certain that future research will greatly benefit from the painstaking effort at systematization Griffel undertook, as well as from the refreshing clarity and openness of his interpretations. * Marco Signori, Studi Medievali * Without doubt, Griffel's extensive study is an inspiring and thought-provoking contribution to our understanding of the post-classical era. * Sultan Saluti, Revista Española de Filosofía Medieval * Frank Griffel's The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand post-Avicennan philosophy in Islam. Through the study and contextualization of more than a dozen twelfth-century authors and in particular al-Rāzī's philosophical summae, this elegantly written, profoundly erudite book argues that the Islamic philosophy of the twelfth century ""is no less philosophical than British empiricism or German idealism"" and proposes a bold new assessment of the prevailing understanding of the relationship between philosophy and theology in the post-Avicennan period, both challenging and refining the cutting-edge debates on Islamicate intellectual history * Judith Pfeiffer, Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Islamic Studies, University of Bonn * Islamic thought in the twelfth, thirteenth and later centuries is now a very exciting field, which is attracting many researchers. But Frank Griffel's contribution is outstanding. His magnificent new book on it is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of philosophy, because it both rewrites the standard account with its bold new thesis, and opens up the area to non-specialists * John Marenbon, Honorary Professor of Medieval Philosophy, University of Cambridge * The post-classical period of philosophy in the Islamic world is still underappreciated but is receiving increasing attention from scholars. Griffel's important contribution to this endeavor is insightful in its treatment of major figures like Abū l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī. More generally, he gives a compelling picture of the nature of ""philosophy"" in this period, showing great sensitivity to the methods and goals of the different kinds of writing that should be of interest to the historian of philosophy * Peter Adamson, Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich *"