In this long-awaited book, Muhsin Mahdi—one of the most prominent scholars in the field of medieval Islamic political philosophy—presents the culmination of more than four decades of research to offer an authoritative analysis of the works of Al-Farabi, the founder of Islamic political philosophy. Mahdi, whose research has brought to light writings by Al-Farabi previously known only through medieval bibliographies, portrays this great thinker as his contemporaries and followers saw him: a philosopher who sought to establish the foundations for a new understanding of revealed religion and its relationship to the philosophical-political heritage. Mahdi begins his book with an overview of Islamic philosophy and a discussion of its historical background, then provides a general understanding of philosophical debate, or an introduction to the overlapping fields of philosophy, political thought, theology, and jurisprudence within Islam, particularly within medieval Islam in Al-Farabi's time. In the second part of the book, Mahdi returns to Al-Farabi's concept of the "virtuous city." Here, a distinction is made between philosophy and science on one hand, and religion on the other. He concludes his book by examining the work that is key to understanding Al-Farabi's political thought, namely the trilogy known as the Philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Because this exceptional philosophical work examines the writings of this great thinker and what was written about him, 'Al-Farabi and the Foundation of Islamic Political Philosophy' is essential reading for anyone interested in medieval political philosophy. Muhsin Mahdi is the James R. Jewett Professor of Arabic, Emeritus, in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. He has published important works by Al-Farabi in Arabic, as well as the definitive edition of The Thousand and One Nights, and a groundbreaking study on the philosophy of history of Ibn Khaldun.

• Publishing House: Dar Al-Farabi for Publishing and Distribution
• Year of Publication: 2009
• Number of Pages: 328