Level 36
1 day < 1 min
LeaderboardGuest · Log in
Medieval and Scholastic Philosophy

Andalusian and North African Philosophy

The distinctive philosophical culture of Islamic Spain and the Maghreb, where Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars worked in close intellectual contact, from Ibn Hazm's literalist jurisprudence to Ibn Khaldun's pioneering philosophy of history.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Ibn Hazm and the Zahiri School of Literalist Jurisprudence. Ibn Hazm championed Zahiri literalism, rejecting analogy in favor of scripture's plain sense.
  2. Ibn Bajjah and the Solitary Path to Happiness. Ibn Bajjah argued the philosopher must live as a spiritual "solitary" within a flawed society.
  3. Ibn Tufayl's Hayy ibn Yaqzan and Autodidactic Reason. Ibn Tufayl's novel imagines reason alone, without society or revelation, reaching philosophical truth.
  4. Averroes in His Andalusian Context: Law, Medicine, Philosophy. Averroes united Cordoban law, medicine, and rigorous Aristotelian commentary in one career.
  5. Ibn Khaldun and the Foundations of the Philosophy of History. Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddima founded a systematic, causal science of society and history.
  6. Asabiyyah and the Cyclical Rise and Fall of Civilizations. Asabiyyah, group cohesion, drives Ibn Khaldun's cyclical theory of dynastic rise and decline.
  7. The Convivencia and Cross-Confessional Philosophical Exchange. Andalusian convivencia enabled real, if unequal and uneven, cross-confessional intellectual exchange.
  8. The Decline of Andalusian Philosophy and Its Diaspora. Political collapse and religious hostility dispersed Andalusian philosophy across Islamic lands and Europe.

This module continues after "Medieval Jewish Philosophy after Maimonides" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1Ibn Hazm and the Zahiri School of Literalist Jurisprudence
2Ibn Tufayl's Hayy ibn Yaqzan and Autodidactic Reason
3Ibn Khaldun and the Foundations of the Philosophy of History
4Asabiyyah and the Cyclical Rise and Fall of Civilizations
5The Decline of Andalusian Philosophy and Its Diaspora

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

0% (overall measurement)
Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%

A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.

Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Fakhry, M. (2004). A History of Islamic Philosophy (3rd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Adang, C. (1996). Muslim Writers on Judaism and the Hebrew Bible: From Ibn Rabban to Ibn Hazm. Leiden: Brill.
  • Menocal, M.R. (2002). The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. Boston: Little, Brown.
  • Rosenthal, F. (Trans.). (1958). Ibn Khaldun: The Muqaddimah, An Introduction to History. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
  • Kennedy, H. (1996). Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus. London: Longman.
  • Leaman, O. (1988). Averroes and His Philosophy. Oxford: Clarendon Press.