Moussem

THE VIRTUOUS CITY: A PHILOSOPHICAL EXPLORATION

A discussion between Michiel Leezenberg, Emiliano Acosta and four philosophy students on the ideas of the Islamic philosopher Abu Nasr al-Farabi.

Abu Nasr al-Farabi (870–950) is one of the greatest philosophers in history and, alongside Averroes and Avicenna, one of the most representative thinkers of the Golden Age of Islam. In The Virtuous City, he argues that the power of reason is sufficient to attain correct knowledge of the world and its creator. Religious revelation is not, in itself, necessary for this. Al-Farabi also argues that different virtuous cities with different religious revelations can coexist. With his surprising ideas on the role of religion in the state and society, which remind us of the principles of the European Enlightenment, al-Farabi undermines many prejudices about Islam.

This classic text from the Islamic philosophical tradition has been translated into Dutch for the first time by Michiel Leezenberg. To mark this translation, Michiel Leezenberg (University of Amsterdam), Prof. Emiliano Acosta (VUB) and VUB Philosophy students Lisa Buelens, Jules Meuwissen, Emma-Jane Down and Cengizhan Ferroudji.

PROGRAMME
7.00 pm - Welcome
7.10 pm - Michiel Leezenberg: ‘The Virtuous City: A Philosophical Exploration’
7.30 pm - Emiliano Acosta: ‘al-Farabi: Can we speak of an Enlightenment during the Golden Age of Islam?’
7.45 pm > 8.30 pm - Discussion between Michiel Leezenberg, Emiliano Acosta, Lisa Buelens, Jules Meuwissen, Emma-Jane Down and Cengizhan Ferroudji

WANT TO EXPLORE THE TOPIC FURTHER?

Read The Virtuous City in Dutch. You can buy the book here.
Emiliano Acosta’s recently published Philosophical Decameron reads like a ten-day journey into and through philosophy: ten days entirely devoted to the history of philosophy. Each chapter discusses one philosopher per day, based on one of their texts. Available here.

Participation is free, but registration is required.