Philosophy and Medicine in the Formative Period of Islam

Many of the
leading philosophers in the Islamic world were doctors, yielding extensive links
between philosophy and medicine. The twelve papers in this volume explore these
links, focusing on the classical or formative period (up to the eleventh
century AD). One central theme is the Arabic reception of Greek figures who
worked on medicine or medical topics, including Hippocrates, Aristotle and
Galen. Several of the luminaries of philosophy in the early Islamic world are
also studied, including Abu Bakr al-Razi, al-Farabi, and Avicenna. Conversely,
the volume also includes research on the use of philosophical ideas in medical
authors, including ?Ali ibn Riḍwan. Attention is also given to the connections
between medicine and Islamic theology (kalam). As a whole, the book
provides both a survey of the kinds of work being done in this relatively unexplored
area, and a springboard for further research.