The Logic of al-Fanari

The Logic of al-Fanari is a comprehensive study and annotated translation of al-Fanari’s famous commentary on the Isaghuji, a foundational work in the Ottoman seminary tradition. The book includes a ‘plain-English’ representation of al-Fanari’s commentary enhanced by the inclusion of helpful explanations drawn from various glosses of the Fawa? id.

In this comprehensive study, Aaron Spevack delves into the 15th-century logic text by Shams al-Din al-Fanari (d. 1431). Rather than offering a standard annotated translation alone, Spevack also provides an in-depth analysis of each chapter, enriched with references to multiple super-commentaries and practical examples. Drawing from years of study under scholars trained in the Ottoman tradition along with personal research, he highlights the text's significance in the Islamic logic tradition and its philosophical depth. More than just a guide to logical reasoning, al-Fanari's work embeds a number of philosophical and metaphysical inquiries that set the Islamic intellectual tradition apart from its modern counterparts. This work offers both a practical and philosophical framework, showing why a deep understanding of classical logic is vital for contemporary discourse.