From the Himalayas to the Atlantic: the reception of Greek philosophy in the context of medieval Arabo-Islamic culture

Key information

  • Dates: February 5 - 6, 2022
  • Location: Nafplio (Greece)
  • Organized by: CHS Greece
  • Open to: All (up to 14 participants)
  • Application Period:  December 1, 2021 - January 7, 2022
  • Language: Greek
  • Academic Coordination: Georgios Steiris, Associate Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Activity Administration: Matina Goga (CHS Greece)

About the workshop

Overview

In the context of the annual Workshop Series 2021-2022, CHS Greece offers for the first time the “From the Himalayas to the Atlantic: the reception of Greek philosophy in the context of medieval Arabo-Islamic culture” workshop.

During the Middle Ages, ancient Greek philosophy was cultivated in three different cultural environments: the Byzantine Greek-speaking, the Western European Latin-speaking, and the Arabo-Islamic one. Using the latter as a vehicle, ancient Greek philosophy reached people from the edge of China to the Atlantic coast. At the same time, it spread across North Africa, up to the wider Sahara area. In the workshop, we will follow the routes and ways of transference, reception, and application of ancient Greek philosophy in the Arabo-Islamic world. At the same time, the contribution of the Arabo-Islamic world to the dissemination and advancement of ancient Greek philosophy in Asia, Africa, and Europe will be emphasized.

Thematic areas – the structure of the workshop

The workshop seeks to highlight the contribution of the Arabo-Islamic world to the preservation, dissemination, and advancement of ancient Greek philosophy.

The approach will be structured in the following thematic areas:

  • Ancient Greek philosophy in Asia and Africa in late antiquity.
  • The translation movement in Syria and the Sassanid Empire.
  • Translations into Arabic.
  • The reception and promotion of ancient Greek philosophy in the context of the Arabo-Islamic civilization.
  • The propagation of ancient Greek philosophy in Asia.
  • The propagation of ancient Greek philosophy in Africa and Latin-speaking Europe.
  • The reception and utilization of ancient Greek political thought.
  • Towards an intercultural history of philosophy.

During the workshop, the coordinator will introduce the participants to the abovementioned topics, using primary and secondary sources. The aim is for the participants to engage in a fruitful dialogue and to reflect and confront widespread prejudices and inaccuracies regarding the dissemination and advancement of ancient Greek philosophy in non-Greek-speaking environments. Additionally, plenty of the thematic areas will be examined with the help of primary sources (excerpts from al-Farabi and Averroës texts). The texts will be examined in working groups, followed by debates in plenary sessions.

Participation

Participation in the workshop is free of charge. Prospective applicants are not required to have any prior knowledge about the topics to be discussed. They are invited to submit a brief description of their aspirations and motive to apply or their reflections in relation to the subject, along with their communication details and status.

CHS Greece constantly monitors the instructions of Harvard University and the Greek authorities, strictly adhering to all applicable health protocols. In case the relevant regulations and instructions change, CHS Greece will adapt accordingly, immediately informing the workshop's participants.