The Incoherence of the Philosophers

Introduction

Al-Ghazali wrote this Arabic work in 1095, while teaching in Baghdad, after first summarising the philosophers’ teachings neutrally in “The Intentions of the Philosophers”. His targets are al-Farabi and above all Avicenna. In twenty discussions, sixteen on metaphysics and four on natural science, he argues that they cannot demonstrate what they claim. Three theses – the eternity of the world, God’s knowledge of particulars only in a universal manner, and the denial of bodily resurrection – he declares unbelief; the others are mere innovations. The seventeenth discussion, on causality, uses the example of fire and cotton. Averroes replied around 1180.

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Connections

Criticizes

• The Virtuous Cityc. 942 · al-Farabi
• The Book of Healing (Kitab al-Shifa)c. 1027 · Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Taken up in

• Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-dalal)c. 1108 · al-Ghazali

Answered in

• The Decisive Treatise (Fasl al-maqal)c. 1179 · Ibn Rushd (Averroes)
• The Incoherence of the Incoherencec. 1180 · Ibn Rushd (Averroes)

More works by al-Ghazali

• c. 1097The Revival of the Religious Sciences
• c. 1108Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-dalal)

Appears in

• Journey ‘The Journey of Aristotle’ · Stop 5 of 9