Abū Naṣr Muḥammad al-Fārābī and Philosophical Wisdom Acquisition

Abū Naṣr Muḥammad al-Fārābī (~ 872- ~ 950) was a Muslim polymath and one of the greatest philosophers of his time. In the passage below he encourages his students, giving them hope in the pursuit of acquiring philosophical wisdom:

[As regards] those who seek the right path. When one of them rejects anything as false, he will be lifted towards a better symbol which is nearer to the truth and is not open to that objection; and if he is satisfied with it, he will be left where he is. When that better symbol is also rejected by him as false, he will be lifted to another rank, and if he is then satisfied with it, he will be left where he is.

Whenever a symbol of a given standard is rejected by him as false, he will be lifted to a higher rank, but when he rejects all the symbols as false and has the strength and gift to understand the truth, he will be made to know the truth and will be placed into the class of those who take the philosophers as their authorities.

If he is not yet satisfied with that and desires to acquire philosophical wisdom and has himself the strength and gift for it, he will be made to know it.

These words have given great encouragement to the countless numbers of philosophy students who have read this passage over the following 1,000 plus years.

Reference:
Richard Walzer, trans., Al-Farabi on the Perfect State (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985) 282-83.

Tags: False - Abū Naṣr Muḥammad al-Fārābī - Philosophy - Rank - Symbol - Truth - Wisdom

Posted by ALCHEssMIST & Alchemipedia.