Al-Kindi s Life and Lessons The Great Arab Philosopher
These famous words came from Al-Kindi, a mathematician, astronomer, physician, and musician. He has found a special place in the heart of the Islamic world as the great Arab philosopher. Upon his appointment in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, Al-Kindi became widely popular because of his development of an Arabic vocabulary for philosophical thought. He was the one responsible for commissioning Arabic translations of Greek philosophers and his commentaries on their philosophy are forever associated with the Arabic philosophy. To others, he is considered as the one who bridged the gap between the Greek and Islam philosophy. Al Kindi s notable works and contributions in the different aspects of the Arab culture have overreaching effects, and they influenced not only the people of the Arab Nations but other cultures as well (Muslim Philosophy, 2003). His life became a symbol of how a simple man from a simple country can change the world in more ways than one. A talented man such as Al-Kindi knew many things that an average man during his time could not have possibly gained from anywhere. As such, he is considered to be one of a kind and will forever be remembered as a man who existed light years ahead of his time.
Life
Abu Yusuf Yaqub ib Ishaq Al-Kindi died in Baghdad sometime between 252 to 260 AD. He became popular for achieving an honorable reputation as the philosopher of the Arabs. Unlike Al-Kindi, other Islamic philosophers who came after his time, though they were Muslims, did not belong to the Arab Nation and most of them learned Arabic as a secondary and not as a primary language (Craig, 1998). Al-Kindi, who was a descendant of the Kindi tribe that migrated from the country of Yemen, was responsible for uniting many tribes (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). The South Arabian tribe of Kindi was more advantaged in terms of outward civilization than other tribes. Many families of the Kindite tribe settled in Iraq and in the town of Kufah where his father was a governor, Al-Kindi was born. Even though his exact date of birth was unknown, it can be safely assumed that he was born at the end of the 8th century (Nasseem, 2001).
His first step towards learning took place in Kufa, Basrah, and lastly, in Baghdad. He learned Qu ran by heart and he also mastered math, Arabic language and literature as well as Greek and Syrian languages and even religion. Al-Kinda was also gifted for his flawless calligraphy skills and became a calligrapher under the employ of Al-Mutawakkil (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). His versatility and insatiable thirst for all categories of knowledge leaned towards an early liking for learning. This was the desire that caused him to move to al-Basrah in order to search for more knowledge. He studied Fiqh and a discipline called kalam, but it appears to him that he was more interested to discover his abilities in sciences and philosophy to which he devoted the rest of his life. He became well-versed with the masterpieces of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. He was able to write on all subjects and the number of his treaties reached 265, but unfortunately, a few of them did not survive. Al-Kindi was a man of amazing erudition he absorbed the entire learning and culture of his time and until now, many people consider him to be a genius (Nasseem, 2001).
Logic and Translation
He was able to use the translations of the early Arabic-language of Greek philosophy which paved the way for him to incorporate a part of the Hellenistic translation in his work. Even if the translations produced by Al-Kindi were not as numerous as that accomplished by the Hunayn circle, some of his works are of immense significance in the determination of the Arab reception of the Greek philosophical idea. Some of the Hellenistic translations he made do not draw far from the text, but although they sound awkward as compared to the productions of the famous translator Hunanyn, they were marked by a more superior method and a more advanced technical terminology. One of the most popular translation examples is that of Aristotles Metaphysics (Adamson Taylor, 2005). His translations took several forms and a study of his terminology shows that he was aware of the specific terms that were used in Hellenistic philosophy and of which the Arab words expressed that same idea in the best way. Al-Kindi was considered a trendsetter for philosophy in the world of Islam because he was able to lay out and redirect terms and metaphysical concerns that were suggested by the theologian from the aspect of religion to the aspect of philosophy (Craig, 1998).
Metaphysics
Al-Kindi s most popular treatise is the metaphysical study entitled Fi al-falsafa al-ula (On First Philosophy). A study of his work will lead the readers to see some of the Aristotelian influence like the four causes. Like Aristotle, Al-Kindi contends that men may gain knowledge of the divine and the unity of God through a study of the natural world. He gives emphasis on the intellect and its relation to matter by giving explaining about the continuity of the intellect even after the death of the body. According to him, the One Truth or The Eternal which is God does not have any attributes or characteristics. It does not have any cause, genus, or species nor is it immutable and unchanging (Craig, 1998).
In the Aristotelian metaphysics, the Prime Mover is the one who set the world in motion, and in the Hellenistic tradition, it appears that time and motion are connected to each other. However, Al-Kindi s view differs from the Hellenistic tradition by contending that matter and time as well as movement are finite, and as such, they have a finite beginning and ending. In his treatise Fi al-falsafa al-ula, he explains his first philosophy which is the noblest and the highest as the first truth knowledge which includes the cause of all the truths. This first cause exists prior in time because it is considered as the cause. The study of philosophy will cause people to find out about the knowledge of the divine God and his unity, and during this course, they will also learn about human virtue. His treatise also centers on how important the intellect as compared to the matter. According to Al-Kindi, death is the only way for the soul to leave the body, but even after death, intellect never ceases to exist for Al-Kindi (Craig, 1998). Hence, it can be noticed that in his writings, Al-Kindi avoided any direct argumentation about religion he rather described a parallel philosophical universe. All throughout his writings, he tried to show the compatibility of the pursuit of philosophy and the orthodox Islam (Craig, 1998).
Ethics and Religion
Al Kindi was able to emphasize his pursuit towards serenity in his life through his exercise of self-discipline and reason rather than focusing on afterlife rewards. His ethical practices are discussed in his treatise entitled Fi al-hila-li-daf al-ahzan (On the Art of Averting Sorrows). According to author Fehmi Jadaane, the ethical beliefs and works of Al-Kindi are strongly similar to the Stoic traditions, more particularly the belief of Epictetus which was widely known in the Islamic world during his time. Epictetus believes that it is important to feel freedom from the world and the status of humans as agents who, through their independence, are deemed to be responsible for their happiness. His final logical step is that suicide is allowable if the life of the person who is about to take his own life is not worth living. However, this idea of Epictetus is not mentioned in Al-Kindi s treatise, and like the Stoic s writings, his idea which is the consolation of philosophy tends to focus on the life of the mind and soul and not the body. According to Al-Kindi, the true form of human beings can be measured by their souls and not by their bodies. The belief about the futility of searching for eternities in the world is useless because he says that those who wish for something that is not in nature wishes for something that is not in existence (Craig, 1998).
Despite of the attacks of the religious groups who were against any kind of philosophical thought, Al-Kindi was able to maintain his view that philosophy is not a luxury but a necessity. He defends his view by telling the religious fanatics to declare the act of philosophising as either necessary or not. If they will say that it is indeed necessary, they must be willing to go on a quest in search for it but if they declare it to be unnecessary, they must give proper and reasonable argumentation in order to prove their point and giving reasons and arguments are acts of philosophizing and as such, it can be safe to say that philosophizing is a necessity. This defense is of great important because it was made directly in the face of those who oppose religion but also because it gave the people a revelation that Al-Kindi did not intend to undermine the capacity of revelation by it. As a matter of fact, his primary aim is to place the religious dogmas on what he considered as sturdy and reasonable foundations. This main argument that Al-Kindi used in defense of philosophy may be construed as an assumption that both religion and philosophy have similar aims which is the knowledge of the unity of God and virtue and he was able to properly substantiate his argumentation by maintaining his argument that philosophy matters. According to Al-Kindi, religion in a way, accomplishes the same thing that philosophy does. He was able to see on an analytical level that both religion and philosophy tackle the same dilemma which is Gods unity and on a practical level, they have similar purpose which is to convince men to have a higher moral standing in life. Therefore, Al Kindis ideas make it appear that there really is no critical difference between religion and philosophy because they are both geared towards achieving the same things (Naseem, 2001).
Al Kindi was the very first Islam philosopher who was able to successfully effect a connection between religion and philosophy by using two different views. The first view follows the path of the logicians and reduces the religion to philosophy and the second view, taking into consideration the divine science, raises it higher than philosophy. Through the brilliance of Al-Kindis argumentation, he was able to prove that religion becomes reconciled with philosophy through the use of philosophical interpretations (Naseem, 2001).
Math, Medicine and Natural Science
The expertise of Al-Kindi in the branch of medicine enabled him to help other people as well. He was the first pharmacologist to find out and apply a right dosage for most of the medicines available during his time. As a chemist who was considered advanced in learning, he opposed alchemy and rejected the belief that base metals can be changed into precious stones. As a mathematician, his works about arithmetic include manuscript about Indian numbers, lines, multiplication with numbers, measure of time and proportion, as well as numerical procedures. Al-Kindi was able to popularize the Hindu-Arabic numerals among Arabs. He was able to successfully prove that both time and space were finite. In the field of geometry, he wrote a text about the theory of parallels and he was also able to finish works about optics which influenced others in the same field. During the life of Al-Kindi, people knew very little about the scientific aspects of music, but Al-Kindi was able to point out that all the various notes combined for the production of harmony have a particular pitch and the degree of harmony is dependent on the note frequency. He was also able to demonstrate that when sounds are produced, these generate air waves which strike the insides of the ears (New World Encyclopedia, 2008).
Perspective on Sorrow
Al-Kindi, throughout his works, placed emphasis upon the identity of sorrow, its roots, and the possible methods of escaping from such a concern. Interestingly, sorrow is without doubt among the most common and prevalent, if not rather expected, problem of individuals throughout history. Of course, not a single individual would prefer to be buried in sorrow for prolonged periods, and suffering from such a negative emotion is definitely far from beneficial. Hence, given that Al-Kindi highlighted and thoroughly discussed the main aspects of sorrow, then without a doubt he was aware of the issues associated with the aforesaid emotion. As a matter of fact, Al-Kindi defines sorrow as a repercussion brought forth by scenarios of loss or the outcome of longing for the unattainable goals also, he notes that sorrow, or its existence, is undeniably spiritual in essence (Adamson Taylor, 2005). Given such details regarding Al-Kindi s perspectives on sorrow, it becomes irrefutable that the aforesaid Arab philosopher understands the nature of sorrow in a straightforward manner. Furthermore, Al-Kindi points out that sorrow is similar to every other disease and thus, in order to be resolved, it must be completely understood especially in terms of the main reasons as to why it manifests (Adamson Taylor, 2005). Practically speaking, such an assumption regarding sorrow is indeed necessary not only for his own understanding of the concern but also for those attempting to further comprehend his philosophical stance on sorrow. As one may expect from a great Arab philosopher, Al-Kindi developed a myriad of suggestions so as to prevent the occurrence and prevalence of sorrow. Basically, Al-Kindi suggests that an individual s habits must be altered or appropriately controlled to a degree so as to prevent thoughts of dissatisfaction from arising in particular, focusing upon the happiness brought forth by one s current belongings and in a similar sense not continuously longing for unattainable objects (Adamson Taylor, 2005). Hence, the manner in which Al-Kindi developed a potential means of preventing sorrow is indeed a direct and logical response to the previously noted definition of the concern.
To further expound, Al-Kindi also establishes certain objects or aspects in life which should be regarded to be of more value than others. In particular, knowledge, individuals, and spirituality are noted by Al-Kindi as significantly more valuable than material objects (Abboud, 2006). Considering Al-Kindis roots and core perspectives in philosophy, such a hierarchy would definitely be quite expected. As noted beforehand, sorrow is directly associated with the concept of spirituality. In relation to this, passion is also directly related to one s spirit and thus, in order to effectively prevent sorrow from arising, one should appropriately delimit ones passion to a suitable degree (Abboud, 2006). Interestingly, explaining the concept of sorrow thoroughly would require more than a straightforward and logical explanation hence, Al-Kindi discussed sorrow further, and in a more practical sense, in his lessons by means of pointing out tales of great emperors and leaders. For the purpose of this study, however, only the most notable of such examples would be delineated since such an example would already be sufficient.
The story of Nero, who is among the great emperors of the Rome, is an ideal example which Al-Kindi discussed throughout his lessons and writings. The story pertains to the desires of Nero to acquire an Arabic canopy despite the considerable difficulty of transporting such a massive object (Abboud, 2006). Prior to deciding to acquire the aforementioned object, a warning was given to the emperor by a philosopher. Noting the impossibility of the task, the philosopher warned Nero that he would endure great extents of depression if he would pursue such a foolish attempt as a result of the destruction of the canopy while in transport, Nero suffered from considerable sorrow and from it he died (Abboud, 2006). Definitely, the story, considering that it is true, completely supports the concepts of Al-Kindi regarding the main means through which sorrow should be avoided. In addition, such a story also highlights the extent to which sorrow may affect an individual which would of course expectedly alarm one who learns of Neros fate.
In general, questions regarding the practicality of Al-Kindis suggestion pertaining to sorrow have been existed. For one, experts have doubted Al-Kindi due to the lack of specific means in which sorrow may be eliminated even if preventing its occurrence has failed (Adamson Taylor, 2005). Definitely, such is a gap in his explanations pertaining to sorrow would result in a lowered sense of reliability. However, in Al-Kindi s defense, others point out the probability that the main rationale behind the lack of suggestion for those already suffering from sorrow is mainly due to human limitations (Adamson Taylor, 2005). Regardless of such conflicting perspectives regarding Al-Kindi s views and teachings on sorrow, it is for a fact that his concepts are entirely logical, and appreciating their theoretical and practical significance is not a difficult endeavor. Therefore, in the context of the problem of sorrow, Al-Kindi s brilliance as a philosopher is certainly further highlighted and established through his understanding of one of the most basic yet prevalent concerns among individuals.
Truth, Philosophers, and Prophets
Another important aspect of Al-Kindis philosophy is the manner in which he discusses vision and the truth. In order to further explain such a concept, it would be necessary to establish a background upon how Al-Kindi considers the different means of acquiring information and establishing thoughts and claims. Specifically, Al-Kindi considers the basic senses as unreliable due to the possibility of alterations and unwanted influences which may occur without warning on the other hand, the imaginative aspect of an individual, otherwise referred to as the imaginative faculty, is largely immune to these concerns regarding the senses (Naseem, 2001). In this sense, it may be assumed that the most ideal means of developing visions and insights into the future would be through the use of ones imaginative faculty. However, in relation to this assumption, questions pertaining to the means through which the imaginative faculty may be utilized by an individual would of course arise. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the aforesaid faculty in arriving at the truth should also be thoroughly discussed.
As mentioned beforehand, the possibility of corrupting the imaginative faculty is considerably less when compared to other means of observation and comprehension. As a matter of fact, of all the organs wherein corruption may arise, only the brain could possibly affect it (Naseem, 2001). In relation to this, there are a multitude of other advantages to the use of the imaginative faculty as the main means of understanding the surrounding and predicting what may occur. Among such advantages, the most essential would be in terms of the connection of the imaginative faculty with the human soul. The direct association and the ease of informational transmission are also considerably beneficial aspects in lessening the possibility of corruption (Naseem, 2001). Thus, it would be appropriate to state that the ideal means of comprehension, pertaining to Al-Kindis philosophy, would be through the masterful use of one s imaginative faculty. Of course, in an attempt to understand and foretell scenarios, philosophers and prophets utilize such faculty.
Both philosophers and prophets have mastery over their imaginative faculties and thus appreciate visions through clear and literal means rather than through symbolic representations which common individuals perceive (Naseem, 2001). In effect, in terms of attempting to arrive at or establishing the truth, philosophers and prophets may in fact have the same capability or potential. Despite having a similarity in the ability to arrive at the truth, philosophers and prophets may be considered as entirely different in relation to the means of arriving at the truth. Specifically, Al-Kindi has made clear distinctions between the two as one uses the prowess of the mind while the other draws forth from the divine (Naseem, 2001). In relation to this, it is quite evident as to which of the two relies upon logic and which depends upon divine intellect, and thus implying that Al-Kindi s concept of the different means of using the imaginative faculty is rather simple. However, it would still be necessary to expound upon such differences between prophets and philosophers for such a pursuit is vital for understanding the thoughts and teachings of the great Arab philosopher further.
From the discussions of Al-Kindi, specifically through his writings, it is emphasized that prophets are capable of acquiring the truth or providing answers with minimal effort as such are only possible if the divine being wills it. Furthermore, the manner in which a prophet clearly presents the truth and relays it to other individuals is considered to be unparalleled (Adamson Taylor, 2005). Expected, as mentioned, the manner in which a philosopher arrives at the truth as well as the manner in which it is told to other individuals considerably differs from that of a prophet. As a matter of fact, Al-Kindi notes that philosophers require significantly longer lengths of time prior to establishing the truth. In addition, he also emphasizes that a multitude of means of analysis through both math and logic are necessary for such individuals to establish a valid truth and eventually openly discuss it (Adamson Taylor, 2005). In this sense, it is evident that philosophers exert more effort in arriving at the truth in comparison to prophets.
The previous statement is without a doubt true however, it must not be forgotten that despite the differences between the manner in which prophets and philosophers act, the end result is basically identical. Considering that the truth that may be acquired by both prophets and philosophers may indeed be of the same reliability, the difference in exerted effort would no longer be a point of concern also, the fact that prophets would merely wait for a message from the divine being would delimit the capability to willingly pursue means of determining the truth unlike philosophers (Naseem, 2001). Throughout the discussion of the truth and the means of arriving at such knowledge, in terms of Al-Kindi s philosophy, numerous generalizations may be expressed. First, it is possible that Al-Kindi only perceives one possible means of attaining a consciousness comparable to that of a philosopher or a prophet which is through mastery over one s imaginative faculty. Second, an absolute truth remains true in all aspects regardless of the means through which it is arrived at.
First Intellect and Universals
As one may expect, among the most commonly discussed topics of philosophers would be the human intellect. Of course, intelligent minds would only be curious about the nature and the source of knowledge and consciousness and how humans process such in specific detail. In this sense, it would not be surprising that Al-Kindi, being a great philosopher, would offer insights and potential explanations regarding the roots of human intellect. Specifically, Al-Kindi presents two distinct explanations for the presence and the roots of human intellect throughout his writings one pertains to the presence of a first intellect, while another presents the core significance of universals in developing human intellect (White, 1972). Given the importance of understanding such perspectives regarding the human intellect in order to sufficiently appreciate the philosophy of Al-Kindi, both of the these explanations would not simply be presented but thoroughly discussed. Most importantly, in addition to learning more of Al-Kindis thoughts, similarities with philosophical trends throughout history would also be noted.
The concept of the first intellect pertains to the rather dormant characteristic of human intellect as requiring a trigger to become an active means of acquiring information and learning. To further expound, the first intellect, as Al-Kindi states in some of his writings and lessons, is an existence which is distinct from both human and divine origins. The presence of the first intellect allows for the activation of the human mind by understanding universal notions (Adamson Taylor, 2005). In relation to this, it may be appropriately stated that in this theory of the source of human intellect, the human mind is innately provided with capable intellect even at birth. However, changes are necessary in order to enable the complete potential of the human consciousness which is through the continuous analysis of universal concepts. In the theory presented above, Al-Kindi highlights the need for activating one s intellect and at the same time emphasizes the need for the first intellect in order to bring forth and create other depths of intellect (White, 1972). Hence, the first theory properly presents a potential source of human intellect.
The second theory pertains to the term universals on a rather different manner. Instead of being brought forth by the effects of the first intellect, the second theory pertains to a unification between human intellect and the universals in particular, the term universals in this case mainly refers to the universal character of objects which may be analogous to the scientific manner of classification wherein specificity implies identity (White, 1972). Despite the presence of such an alternative theory, however, experts often point out several concerns regarding it. Aside from lacking further clarifications and discussions throughout the uncovered texts of Al-Kindi, such a theory is considered to be quite contradictory to the first theory (White, 1972). Thus, modern day scholars focus upon discussing the first theory instead due to several reasons. For one, the first theory is predominantly present throughout Al-Kindi s recovered texts and has also been discussed by other notable philosophers throughout history. Another vital reason as to why the first theory is most commonly analyzed is that the theory is undeniably similar to the neo-platonic concepts of human intellect which allow for a myriad of interpretations (Davidson, 1992). Without a doubt, the current understanding of Al-Kindis concepts may change in the future as more of his writings are uncovered.
Conclusion
After discussing Al-Kindi s life and expounding upon the lessons imbued within his written work and philosophy, it becomes evident that he is indeed worthy of being regarded as the father of Arab philosophy. Aside from being among the first of Arab philosophers who have gained global recognition throughout history, is cannot be refuted that the extent of his knowledge and understanding is testament to his capabilities as a philosopher. His works are not only limited to broad concerns in religion, philosophy, and even intellect but also tackle more specific aspects of human lives such as sorrow. Interestingly, Al-Kindi was also as well-versed in science and arts, further providing evidence to his capabilities. Therefore, given such background and accomplishments in addition to the high regard given to his works by scholars and experts, it would be most appropriate to consider Al-Kindi as both a distinguished and irreplaceable icon in the history of global philosophy and an exemplary symbol of the superb potential of Arab intellect.
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