Islamic scholars preserved and expanded on Greek philosophical works from "summary" of The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb
Islamic scholars played a crucial role in the preservation and expansion of Greek philosophical works during the Middle Ages. When the Roman Empire fell, the Muslim world became the custodian of the intellectual legacy of the Greeks. The translation movement initiated by Caliph al-Mamun in the 9th century led to the translation of Greek texts into Arabic. This endeavor was not merely an act of linguistic translation but also involved a deep engagement with the ideas contained in these works. One of the key figures in this translation movement was Hunayn ibn Ishaq, a Christian Arab scholar who translated numerous works of Greek philosophy, medicine, and science into Arabic. His translations were not literal but aimed at conveying the underlying meaning and concepts of the Greek texts. Islamic scholars such as Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, and Avicenna built upon the translated Greek works, incorporating them into Islamic intellectual tradition. These scholars did not merely preserve Greek philosophy but also expanded on it by integrating it with Islamic thought. For example, Al-Kindi sought to reconcile Greek philosophy with Islamic theology, arguin...
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