Reason and Tradition in Islamic Ethics

Politics & Social Sciences

Hourani, George F.

Philosophy

Cambridge University Press

This volume collects the published essays of the late Professor Hourani on Islamic ethics in the earlier classical and formative periods of Islamic civilization. Ethics was from the start at the core of Islam, and the construction of philosophical theories to support normative ethics made those centuries among the most profound and intensely active in the history of ethical thought. The book opens with two general and contextual pieces and thereafter it is organized by schools of thought in a broadly chronological order. The essays centre around two related debates in Islamic philosophy: over the ontological status of value, and over the sources of our knowledge of value. The answers developed follow similar lines to the rational theology and philosophy of the West, and Professor Hourani brings out the frequent parallels. As a whole, the volume will introduce and establish the importance of the Islamic tradition of thought about ethics.

In this classic work George Hourani deals with the history of the sea trade of the Arabs in the Indian Ocean from its obscure origins many centuries before Christ to the time of its full extension to China and East Africa in the ninth and tenth centuries. The book comprises a brief but masterly historical account that has never been superseded. The author gives attention not only to geography, meteorology, and the details of travel, but also to the ships themselves, including a discussion of the origin of stitched planking and of the lateen fore-and-aft sails. Piracy in the Indian Ocean, day-to-day life at sea, the establishment of ancient lighthouses and the production of early maritime guides, handbooks, and port directories are all described in fascinating detail. Arab Seafaring will appeal to anyone interested in Arab life or the history of navigation. For this expanded edition, John Carswell has added a new introduction, a bibliography, and notes that add material from recent archaeological research.

Arab Seafaring: In the Indian Ocean in Ancient and Early Medieval Times (Expanded Edition)

History

John Carswell

Ancient Civilizations

Princeton University Press

In this treatise Ibn Rushd (Averroes) sets out to show that the Scriptural Law (shar') of Islam does not altogether prohibit the study of philosophy by Muslims, but, on the contrary, makes it a duty for a certain class of people, those with the capacity for "demonstrative" or scientific reasoning. Apparent conflicts between the teachings of Scripture and philosophy can be reconciled by allegorical interpretations of Scripture, though such interpretations should not be taught to the common people. Ibn Rushd's contribution to what was clearly a lively debate in Almovarid Andalusia is here accompanied by extracts from two other relevant works, his Damima and Kitab al-Kashf 'an Manahij al-Adilla, and all are covered by a full introduction and notes.

Averroes: On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy (Gibb Memorial Trust)

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Edinburgh University Press

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Books by Hourani, George F.