Philosophy and Medicine in the Formative Period of Islam

Many of theleading philosophers in the Islamic world were doctors, yielding extensive linksbetween philosophy and medicine. The twelve papers in this volume explore theselinks, focusing on the classical or formative period (up to the eleventhcentury AD). One central theme is the Arabic reception of Greek figures whoworked on medicine or medical topics, including Hippocrates, Aristotle andGalen. Several of the luminaries of philosophy in the early Islamic world arealso studied, including Abu Bakr al-Razi, al-Farabi, and Avicenna. Conversely,the volume also includes research on the use of philosophical ideas in medicalauthors, including 'Ali ibn Ridwan. Attention is also given to the connectionsbetween medicine and Islamic theology (kalam). As a whole, the bookprovides both a survey of the kinds of work being done in this relatively unexploredarea, and a springboard for further research.