Ibn Tufayl's Hayy Ibn Yaqzan: A Philosophical Tale

Ibn Tufayl

may 2015 · University of Chicago Press

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The Arabic philosophical fable Hayy Ibn Yaqzan is a classic of medieval Islamic philosophy. Ibn Tufayl (d. 1185), the Andalusian philosopher, tells of a child raised by a doe on an equatorial island who grows up to discover the truth about the world and his own place in it, unaided—but also unimpeded—by society, language, or tradition. Hayy’s discoveries about God, nature, and man challenge the values of the culture in which the tale was written as well as those of every contemporary society.

Goodman’s commentary places Hayy Ibn Yaqzan in its historical and philosophical context. The volume features a new preface and index, and an updated bibliography.

“One of the most remarkable books of the Middle Ages.”—Times Literary Supplement

“An enchanting and puzzling story. . . . The book transcends all historical and cultural environments to settle upon the questions of human life that perpetually intrigue men.”—Middle East Journal

“Goodman has done a service to the modern English reader by providing a readable translation of a philosophically significant allegory.”—Philosophy East and West

“Add[s] bright new pieces to an Islamic mosaic whose general shape is already known.”—American Historical Review

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Lenn E. Goodman is Professor of Philosophy and Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University. His many books include The Case of the Animals vs. Man before the King of Jinn.