Papers by Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed
Intellectual History of the Islamicate World, 2024
This article presents an introduction to this special issue of Intellectual History of the Islami... more This article presents an introduction to this special issue of Intellectual History of the Islamicate World. We suggest that this collection of papers broadens the scope of Islamic philosophy by bringing new insights into diverse forms and affective experiences of philosophy. Together, these papers suggest a way of doing Islamic philosophy that is both living and communal. This issue emerges from the community formed within the Islamic Philosophy in Conversation Working Group. As such, the introduction to the collection also serves as a reminder of the necessity of support specifically for women and nonbinary academics, scholars of color, and other minoritized scholars in our field.
International Journal of Islamic and Muslim Studies, 2023
Journal of Persianate Studies, 2022
While Fakhr al-Din Rāzi's (d. 1210/606) works of philosophical theology are well known, his poetr... more While Fakhr al-Din Rāzi's (d. 1210/606) works of philosophical theology are well known, his poetry has been largely ignored by scholars to date. This article provides a translation and analysis of Rāzi's previously untranslated Persian panegyric ode (qasidat al-madh) entitled "Fi al-manteq va-ʾl-tabiʿa va-ʾl-elāhi va-madh al-soltān (On Logic, Physics, and Metaphysics, and Praise of the Sultan)." Combining a historical and literary approach, I argue that Rāzi strategically employs both the didactic and the panegyric genres in his attempt to regain the favor of the Khvārazmian crown prince, Nāser al-Din Malekshāh (d. 1196-7/593). In addition to demonstrating Rāzi's belief in the soteriological value of knowledge, the poem adds further evidence for elite support of Islamic philosophy after Ebn Sīnā-in this case, in the eastern lands of the Islamic empire.
Women's Contemporary Readings of Medieval (and Modern) Arabic Philosophy, 2022
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Mysticism and Ethics in Islam, 2021
for generously workshopping this chapter, and Mohammed Rustom and Atif Khalil for their incisive ... more for generously workshopping this chapter, and Mohammed Rustom and Atif Khalil for their incisive comments and edits.
Oriens, 2020
This article examines Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's (d. 606/1210) epistemology and his understanding of ... more This article examines Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's (d. 606/1210) epistemology and his understanding of syllogistic reasoning through a consideration of Meno's paradox. It focuses on later works, namely, al-Maṭālib al-ʿāliya, Kitāb al-Jabr, and al-Tafsīr al-kabīr as well as his treatment of the subject in al-Mulakhkhaṣ fī l-ḥikma. Informed by the theories of epistemology developed through the philosophical tradition of Meno's paradox and first principles, Rāzī views all knowledge formed through syllogistic reasoning as dependent on axiomatic truths (al-badīhiyyāt), a concept with roots in both the philosophical and theological traditions. These first principles are formed immediately upon the presence of the requisite concepts in the mind, and thus comprise Rāzī's implicit response to the paradox in that all subsequent knowledge does indeed require previous fundamental knowledge that is not sought nor acquired voluntarily. Finally, the article discusses a separate paradox implicit in Rāzī's works, namely that he both asserts in sections treating divine determinism that no knowledge can in fact be acquired whatsoever while elsewhere emphasizing the fundamental importance of knowledge acquisition.
Arabic Sciences and Philosophy, 2019
In this article, I examine key passages from the Aš῾arite theologian Faḫr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's (d. 60... more In this article, I examine key passages from the Aš῾arite theologian Faḫr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's (d. 606/1210) final work, Al-Maṭālib al-῾āliya (" The lofty inquiries "), in order to theorize Rāzī's cosmology and angelology. In his attempt to prove the existence of these beings, Rāzī divides reality into material and intelligible realms. Angels, which signify the celestial intellects and spheres, exist as non-space-occupying beings and represent an aspect of the intelligible world. Of these, some are associated with celestial bodies, and others are entirely unassociated with materiality. I then present evidence for the possibility that Rāzī believed that these celestial spiritual beings are pre-eternal with God. These positions indicate a certain degree of conceptual continuity with the falsafa tradition, and reflect al-Ġazālī's (d. 505/1111) previous integration of the philosophical structure of reality into some of his texts. Additionally, one may look to other philosophical currents that developed in the Islamic world beyond the falāsifa, and connect Rāzī's cosmology to both the Hermetic tradition and the Epistles of the Iḫwān al-Ṣafā᾿.
Dans cet article, j'analyse des passages cruciaux de la composition finale du théologien Faḫr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210), Al-Maṭālib al-῾āliya (« Les nobles en-quêtes »), afin de théoriser sur la nature de deux de ses études : la cosmologie et l'angé-lologie. En cherchant à prouver l'existence de ces êtres, Rāzī divise la réalité en deux do-maines : matériel et intelligible. Les anges, qui symbolisent les intellects et les sphères, existent dans une réalité intelligible comme des êtres qui n'occupent pas d'espace. Par-mi eux, certains sont associés aux corps célestes, et d'autres ne s'associent à aucune chose matérielle. Dans un deuxième temps, je présente des arguments suggérant que Rāzī pensait peut-être que ces êtres célestes sont prééternels avec Dieu. Ces conceptions montrent une continuité avec la tradition philosophique islamique, et elles la structure philosophique de la réalité intégrée par al-Ġazālī (d. 505/1111) dans quelques textes théologiques. De plus, on a examiné d'autres courants philosophiques développés dans le monde islamique qui ont pu agir sur la cosmologie de Rāzī, en lien avec la tradition hermétique et avec les Épîtres des frères de la Pureté.
Book Reviews by Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed
Sixteenth Century Journal, 2024
s monograph, Rāzī: Master of Qurʾanic Interpretation and Theological Reasoning, is a thoroughly r... more s monograph, Rāzī: Master of Qurʾanic Interpretation and Theological Reasoning, is a thoroughly researched and eloquently expressed contribution to an exciting and relatively new line of inquiry in Islamic studies/Near Eastern studies. Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī represents one of the most impressive and influential thinkers of the postclassical period, writing after Ibn Sīnā and al-Ghazālī and critically engaging both thinkers. While Rāzī was a prolific writer and innovative thinker, he is also a figure on whom relatively little scholarly research has been undertaken. Rāzī was at the forefront of the intellectual movement that incorporated Avicennian philosophy into Islamic theology (kalām); Robert Wisnovsky, whose work has spearheaded research into post-Avicennian philosophical-theological trends, seeks to reveal the quantity and depth of philosophical thought produced in the form of philosophical commentaries and philosophical-theological works in the Islamic world currently preserved in manuscripts produced between the early twelfth through twentieth centuries. Jaffer's monograph contributes to this relatively new trend in scholarship that explores post-Avicennian theological works as they incorporate philosophical methods and ideas.
Conferences & Workshops by Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed
“Forms and Functions of Islamic Philosophy” seeks to highlight how Islamic philosophy (falsafa/ḥi... more “Forms and Functions of Islamic Philosophy” seeks to highlight how Islamic philosophy (falsafa/ḥikma) was practiced “in conversation”—between scholars, with various audiences, and with different disciplines, approaches, and rhetoric. Islamic philosophy was composed not only in traditional forms of treatises and commentaries, but also through narratives written in poetry and prose. For example, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī penned a panegyric poem written in Persian in praise of logic, physics, and metaphysics, alongside his many philosophical prose treatises. Ibn al-ʿArabī’s philosophical mysticism includes prose that reads as Aristotelian commentary alongside succinct poems highlighting his key philosophical concepts through mystical metaphors. In reference to Ibn Sīnā’s allegorical treatise, Ibn Tufayl’s famous Ḥayy Ibn Yaqẓān provides an intriguing narrative and philosophical thought experiment. What do story-telling, poetry, narrative, metaphor, and allegory reveal about the nature and purpose of philosophy?
The conference is organized in conjunction with the “Islamic Philosophy in Conversation” working group. The conference aligns itself with the goals of the working group, and therefore seeks to highlight the work of a diverse group of scholars, including emerging scholars of Islamic philosophy, as well as those who identify as female, non-binary, or as belonging to a historically-marginalized group.
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Papers by Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed
Dans cet article, j'analyse des passages cruciaux de la composition finale du théologien Faḫr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210), Al-Maṭālib al-῾āliya (« Les nobles en-quêtes »), afin de théoriser sur la nature de deux de ses études : la cosmologie et l'angé-lologie. En cherchant à prouver l'existence de ces êtres, Rāzī divise la réalité en deux do-maines : matériel et intelligible. Les anges, qui symbolisent les intellects et les sphères, existent dans une réalité intelligible comme des êtres qui n'occupent pas d'espace. Par-mi eux, certains sont associés aux corps célestes, et d'autres ne s'associent à aucune chose matérielle. Dans un deuxième temps, je présente des arguments suggérant que Rāzī pensait peut-être que ces êtres célestes sont prééternels avec Dieu. Ces conceptions montrent une continuité avec la tradition philosophique islamique, et elles la structure philosophique de la réalité intégrée par al-Ġazālī (d. 505/1111) dans quelques textes théologiques. De plus, on a examiné d'autres courants philosophiques développés dans le monde islamique qui ont pu agir sur la cosmologie de Rāzī, en lien avec la tradition hermétique et avec les Épîtres des frères de la Pureté.
Book Reviews by Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed
Conferences & Workshops by Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed
The conference is organized in conjunction with the “Islamic Philosophy in Conversation” working group. The conference aligns itself with the goals of the working group, and therefore seeks to highlight the work of a diverse group of scholars, including emerging scholars of Islamic philosophy, as well as those who identify as female, non-binary, or as belonging to a historically-marginalized group.
Dans cet article, j'analyse des passages cruciaux de la composition finale du théologien Faḫr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210), Al-Maṭālib al-῾āliya (« Les nobles en-quêtes »), afin de théoriser sur la nature de deux de ses études : la cosmologie et l'angé-lologie. En cherchant à prouver l'existence de ces êtres, Rāzī divise la réalité en deux do-maines : matériel et intelligible. Les anges, qui symbolisent les intellects et les sphères, existent dans une réalité intelligible comme des êtres qui n'occupent pas d'espace. Par-mi eux, certains sont associés aux corps célestes, et d'autres ne s'associent à aucune chose matérielle. Dans un deuxième temps, je présente des arguments suggérant que Rāzī pensait peut-être que ces êtres célestes sont prééternels avec Dieu. Ces conceptions montrent une continuité avec la tradition philosophique islamique, et elles la structure philosophique de la réalité intégrée par al-Ġazālī (d. 505/1111) dans quelques textes théologiques. De plus, on a examiné d'autres courants philosophiques développés dans le monde islamique qui ont pu agir sur la cosmologie de Rāzī, en lien avec la tradition hermétique et avec les Épîtres des frères de la Pureté.
The conference is organized in conjunction with the “Islamic Philosophy in Conversation” working group. The conference aligns itself with the goals of the working group, and therefore seeks to highlight the work of a diverse group of scholars, including emerging scholars of Islamic philosophy, as well as those who identify as female, non-binary, or as belonging to a historically-marginalized group.