Theology of Aristotle

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The Theology of Aristotle was a paraphrase of parts of Plotinus' Six Enneads along with Porphyry's commentary into Arabic. It had a significant effect on Islamic philosophy, due to Islamic interest in Aristotle. Al-Kindi, for example, and Avicenna were influenced by Plotinus' works. The translator attempted to integrate Aristotle's ideas with those of Plotinus -- while trying to make Plotinus compatible to Christianity and Islam -- thus, yielding a unique synthesis.

The Theology of Aristotle, together with The Letter on Divine Science and The Sayings of the Greek Sage, a collection of fragments, form the Arabic Plotinus. They seem to have been adapted by Ibn Na'ima al-Himsi, a Christian and edited by Al-Kindi, a Muslim. See Before Essence and Existence: al-Kindi's Conception of Being.

There is also a longer version of the Theology. It's authorship is uncertain. According to Shlomo Pinès, it may have been written by Isma'ili. Paul Fenton, on the other hand, thought it may have been derived from Egyptian Jews.

Further reading

  • Peter S. Adamson, Arabic Plotinus: A Philosophical Study of the 'Theology of Aristotle' (2002: London, Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.) ISBN 0715631632
  • Paul Fenton (Author), "The Arabic and Hebrew Versions of the The Theology of Aristotle" in Pseudo-Aristotle in the Middle Ages: The ‘Theology’ and Other Texts, Jill Kraye, Charles B. Schmitt and W. F. Ryan (1986: London) ISBN 085481065X, 241-264.
  • Dimitri Gutas, Greek thought, Arabic culture : the Graeco-Arabic translation movement in Baghdad and early ʻAbbāsid society (2nd-4th/8th-10th centuries) (1998: London, Routledge) ISBN 0415061326
  • Shlomo Pinès, "La longue récension de la Théologie d'Aristote dans ses rapports avec la doctrine ismaélienne" in Revue des études Islamiques 22 (1954) 7-20.