Philosophy in the Islamic World: A history of philosophy without any gaps, Volume 3
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The latest in the series based on the popular History of Philosophy podcast, this volume presents the first full history of philosophy in the Islamic world for a broad readership. It takes an approach unprecedented among introductions to this subject, by providing full coverage of Jewish and Christian thinkers as well as Muslims, and by taking the story of philosophy from its beginnings in the world of early Islam all the way through to the twentieth century.
Major figures like Avicenna, Averroes, and Maimonides are covered in great detail, but the book also looks at less familiar thinkers, including women philosophers. Attention is also given to the philosophical relevance of Islamic theology (kalam) and mysticism--the Sufi tradition within Islam, and Kabbalah among Jews--and to science, with chapters on disciplines like optics and astronomy. The book is divided into three sections, with the first looking at the first blossoming of Islamic theology and responses to the Greek philosophical tradition in the world of Arabic learning. This 'formative period' culminates with the work of Avicenna, the pivotal figure to whom most later thinkers feel they must respond. The second part of the book discusses philosophy in Muslim Spain (Andalusia), where Jewish philosophers come to the fore, though this is also the setting for such thinkers as Averroes and Ibn Arabi. Finally, a third section looks in unusual detail at later developments, touching on philosophy in the Ottoman, Mughal, and Safavid empires and showing how thinkers in the nineteenth to the twentieth century were still concerned to respond to the ideas that had animated philosophy in the Islamic world for centuries, while also responding to political and intellectual challenges from the European colonial powers.
Peter Adamson is a prominent historian of philosophy, best known for his extensive work on ancient, medieval, and Islamic philosophy. He is Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and formerly taught at King’s College London.
Adamson is internationally recognized for his ability to make complex philosophical ideas accessible to a broad audience. He is the author of several influential books, including Philosophy in the Islamic World, Classical Philosophy: A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps, and Al-Kindi, among others. His groundbreaking “History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps” project—spanning books and a popular podcast—offers a comprehensive, engaging journey through the philosophical traditions of all cultures, not just the Western canon.
Combining deep scholarship with a clear, conversational style, Peter Adamson continues to illuminate how ideas developed across civilizations, emphasizing the richness and continuity of philosophical inquiry throughout history.
