Al-Farabi between Philosophy and Religion and the Influence by Plotinus

摘要

This study aims at finding to which extent Farabi’s philosophy was influenced by Neoplatonism, especially in terms of the topics presented and the way they were addressed. This comes in the framework of knowing to which level both Farabi and Plotinus influenced, and were influenced by religion in the matter of: The One, The Intellect and The Soul on one hand, the knowledge, reconciliation between religion and philosophy, on the other. The study also examined the similar circumstances that surrounded Plotinus and Al-Farabi, which may have been a major reason for presenting and raising similar topics. The study concluded that the philosophical context is derived from the events and circumstances that philosophers live through, and that the issues raised by both philosophers show influence on and by religion. Most importantly there is no way to either deny or affirm what they agreed or disagreed upon, except for their aim; for the philosophy they both presented asserted that they sought happiness.