The Heart of Islamic Philosophy- The Quest for Self-Known in the Teachings of Afdul al-Din Kashani

About the Book This book introduces the work of an important medieval Islamic philosopher who is little known outside the Persian world. Afdal al Din Kashani was a contemporary of a number of important Muslim thinkers, including Averroes and Ibn al- 'Arabi. Among philosophers who wrote in Persian, he is set apart by the remarkable beauty and clarity of his prose. Kashni made a considered choice to write in Persian at the time Arabic was then language of choice for philosophy. Avoiding Arabic technical terms, he did not, in fact, write for advanced students of philosophy but rather for beginners who might not have a good grasp of Arabic.

Kashamirs writings offer especially clear and 'insightful expositions of various philosophical positions. This makes him an invaluable resource for those who would like to learn the basic principle and arguments of this philosophical tradition but do not have a strong background in philosophy and Islamic studies. As William Chit tick notes, Kashani held the position that philosophy awakens people from forgetfulness and incites them to reach for the perfection of existence. Because ignorance of self is the cause of tassel’s misery in the next life, he sought to make philosophy as accessible as possible to everyone.

This is the first book in English to present the main themes of the Islamic philosophical tradition in the words of a Muslim .philosopher. Written in an accessible style, this volume will interest students and scholars of Islamic philosophy at all levels.

About the Author William C Chit tick (born 1943) is a leading translator and interpreter of classical Islamic philosophical and mystical texts. He is best known for his ground breaking work on Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, and has written extensively on the school of Ibn 'Arabi, Islamic philosophy, and Islamic cosmology.

Born in Milford, Connecticut, Chit tick finished his BA at the College of Wooster in Ohio, and then went on to complete a PhD in Persian literature at Tehran University under the supervision of Seyyed Hossein Nasr in 1974.

An Associate and later on Assistant Professor at the Imperial Iranian Academy of philosophy 1976-79, he became the Assistant Editor of the Encyclopedia Ironical at the Columbia University in 1983. He worked as the Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the state University of New York, Stony Brook From 1983-1991 where he presently holds the post of the professor of Comparative Studies.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages