Comparison Of Islamic And Christian Philosophers

Comparison Of Islamic And Christian PhilosophersAccording to the Encarta dictionaries, ism tail assembly be defined as the branch of companionship that examines the grassroots concepts of thoughts and a set of beliefs or aims. Islamic philosophy is a mien of philosophy that deals with the memorize of the framework of Islamic cultures, not necessarily apparitional issues, patch Christian philosophy strictly deals with the theological systemal doctrines of Christianity.However, as meter went on there ar many Islamic and Christian philosophers who go systematic eithery established their works and encounter influenced the way people weigh in the golf club. Some of the great philosophers to be considered would be Plato, Mohammed Al Farabi, apotheosis Augustine, doubting doubting doubting doubting doubting Thomas, Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi and Ibn Rushd also cognize as Averroes. Further, I would examine the views, works and areas of study as an attempt to compare dickens Christian and Islamic philosophers.Plato, Mohammed al Farabi and Ibn Rushd were great renowned world philosophers who lived at wholeness time or the other, and whose many contri thoions including their thoughts and works specifically with regards to philosophy, politics and science build greatly imparted into Islamic policy-making hypothesis. The impact these Islamic philosophers do during their brio-times are hitherto felt til now up till today.Plato was an Islamic political judgment that was a well known student of Socrates. Plato established many dialogues and theories much(prenominal) as the Cartesian dualism hypothesis. This surmise talks about the mind (soul) and the dust. The theory further explains that there are conflicts between the mind and soul because the body is made up of physical appetites which can lead ones soul to committing sin.* However, Plato has greatly influenced many Arabic philosophers such as Mohammed Al Farabi.Mohammed Al Farabi was known to be the second teacher of Islamic philosophy after Aristotle. Al Farabi was one of the most famous, well respected, and successful Arabic philosophers. Also, He made an important contribution in the Islamic society by separate the study of logic into ii categories Takhayyul (idea) and Thubut (proof). (Islami urban center.com). two Mohammed Al Farabi and Plato came up with philosophical themes. An example of one of these themes is the First theme which is the theory of Knowledge. Mohammed Al Farabi and Plato twain stated that Knowledge development is very important in the society and that it was the key to the rise of power in most successful societies. Therefore, knowledge is responsible for the distinct differences between developed countries and the third world countries of the world. This theory of Knowledge is the basis for major societies like the United States of America (U.S.A).Plato and Mohammed Al Farabi made it clear that in every society, social and political changes ar e ingrainedly observed and an isolated individual is not adequate to(p) of achieving perfection. Both philosophers believed that anyone who was trying to be an island could have little or no chances of cosmos successful in life.On the other achieve, well known Christian philosophers such as Thomas doubting Thomas and enshrine Augustine of the late centuries have also impacted greatly into the world. Both philosophers were proficient writers and made polar dialogues.Thomas doubting Thomas was born to an aristocratic family and has produced a philosophical and heathenish impact on the minds of many in the society today. Thomas Aquinas was a Christian philosopher that elaborated very much on how manhood could understand the truths of the universe through rational thinking. For example following Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas emphasized that humans are rational creatures that are capable of much learning and contemplating immortal. (Moseley, Page 12). He also contributed to August inian Christianity with an Aristotelian logic because he felt the followers of exaltation Augustine lacked basic understanding of Christianity.* Meanwhile, Saint Augustine was a philosopher who was born into a Christian family and learnt about Christianity through his mother, after he was enrolled as a catechumen into a catholic church. *Nevertheless, both Saint Augustine and Aquinas came up with different good theories. Saint Augustines ethical theory was based on the love of matinee idol. He claims that people can be categorized into two good or reprehensible. According to Saint Augustine the good people are those that love and show appreciation to God while the infernal people had no regards for God and his laws. Further, He explained that the good people are those that live in the city of God and the diabolical people are those that dwell in the city of man.*However, Thomas Aquinas ethical theory was immensely connected to the belief that everything had an block off and a n individuals body process towards the end is initiated by an agent. As stated by Thomas Aquinas all actions must have an end otherwise an action without an end would tend to infinity.* Furthermore, Thomas Aquinas explained that an action should not just have an end but a proper end which seeks a portion of perfection. This perfection can be attained through the guidance of God who is referred to as the only perfect being. Moreover, Thomas Aquinas also discusses on good and evil. He argues that the act of will is not always good, but abouttimes evil, indicating that the purity or badness of a thing is sought-after(a) in the will of an action.Initially, Christian and Islamic philosophers were very versatile because they expertness in different fields. One of the common areas of study which was associated with both Christian and Islamic philosophers was the study of treat. For example Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, Ibn sina also known as Avicenna, and Thomas Aquinas were both philosop hers who studied medicine at one headland in the life time. Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al-Kindi was an Islamic philosopher who was born in Kufa at well-nigh 800 A.D. He did not just study medicine but was one of the chief contributors to the field, because he was known to be the first to systematically restore the doses to be administered of all the drugs to sick patients at his time. Furthermore, this resolved the conflicting views dominate among physicians on the dosage that caused difficulties in writing recipes. (trincoll.edu).On the other hand Thomas Aquinas who was a Christian philosopher that also studied medicine and explained that the human body contained innate capacities and non- innate capacities (also referred to as learned capacities). Thomas Aquinas made a related distinction between these two capacities by giving the term potential for the innate capacities and dispositions for the learned capacities. Moreover, Thomas Aquinas distinguished between the innate capacities and t he non-innate capacities by giving examples. live with the theatrical role of playing a musical instrument such as the flute and the comprehend of sight. Thomas Aquinas stated that playing of the flute is obviously learned unlike someone that does not acquire the sense of sight by seeing rather because he has the capacity of sight, he is made actually to see. (Books.google.com.ng).Secondly, Christian and Islamic philosophers share different political views. Take the case of two well known philosophers Plato and Saint Augustine who both had different views of the concepts of politics such as nicety and evil. Plato defined justice in a society as the connection and balance of roles tenanted by social agents or people in a society. He further explained that justice can only be achieved in a society if there is evil present in that particular society. Moreover, evil according to Plato is anything that is not in accordance with justice.However, Saint Augustine had a different perspec tive of evil. Saint Augustine related evil with Gods existence by explaining that evil was transgressing against Gods will. He explained that God was the Supreme Being in charge of all creatures and was the only one free of evil. Saint Augustine further elaborated that all human beings are created good but not made perfect, and thence makes humans liable to committing sin which sometimes fulfills the will of God. Although both philosophers divided different views, Plato and Saint Augustine had it in mind to maintain justice and goodness in the society.Lastly, Christian philosophers accepted the notion of Greek natural philosophy, while the Islamic philosophers did not. Perhaps the reason that Christian philosophers accepted Greek natural philosophy was that Christianity is founded within the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, so the Christian philosophers grew accustomed to Greco Roman culture. Unlike Islam which was founded outside the Greco-Roman world. Take the case of Saint Augus tine who converted to Christianity after being influenced by the biography of the life of Saint Anthony. Saint Augustine did not only become a Christian but also was inspired to produce more works such as his most famous of all works which was titled the city of God.*To conclude, it is obvious that over the years some Islamic and Christian philosophers do not necessarily agree to each others dialogues or theories, while some succumb and even supplement the theories made. However, as stated earlier both Islamic and Christian philosophers have contributed greatly to the each other even up until today despite the fact that both Islam and Christianity are two different religions that are based on their particular principles.BibliographyAdler, J. Mortimer. Great Books of the westerly World 16 Augustine. Chicago 2003. Print.Afnan, Soheil. The Commentary of Avicenna on Aristotles Poetics. The daybook of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 (1947) 188-190, JSTOR Web. 22 Mar. 2010.Black, Antony. The taradiddle of Islamic Political Thought From the Prophet to the Present. bracing York Routledge Publishing Company, 2001. Print.Ebenstein, Alan. entrance to Political Thinkers. 2nd ed. Orlando,Florida Words worth, 2002. Print.Matthews, T. Roy and Dewitt, F. Platt. The Western Humanities, Volume 1 Beginnings with the Renaissance. New York Mc Graw- Hill Publishing Company, 2008. Print.Mohammed Al- Farabi. Islamicity.com. . 22Mar. 2010.Moseley, Alexander. A to Z of Philosophy. capital of the United Kingdom, New York Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. Print.Russell, Bertrand. A History of Western Philosophy. New York, London Simon and Schuster publishing company, 1972. Print.Stroumsa, Sarah. Avicennas Philosophical Stories Aristotles poetics reinterpreted. Arabica. 39. 2 (1992) 183-206, JSTOR Web. 22 Mar. 2010.Yaqub Ibn Ishaq al- Kindi. trincoll.edu. Chris Marvin and Trinity College, n.d. . 22 Mar.2010