TEHRAN – “Ibn Tufayl: Living the Life of Reason” by Taneli Kukkonen, a professor of philosophy at NYU Abu Dhabi, has been published in Persian.Naamak is the publisher of the book rendered into Persian by Parisa Sajjadi.Ibn Tufayl (d.

1185) was an Andalusian courtier, philosopher, Sufi master and royal physician to the Almohad Caliphs. He inspired the twelfth-century Andalusian revolt against Ptolemaic astronomy and sponsored the career of the most renowned Aristotelian of medieval times, Abu al-Walid Ibn Rushd (the Latin Averroes). Ibn Tufayl was an exemplar of the kind of versatile scholar early Almohad culture wanted to cultivate.In this thought-provoking and concise account, Kukkonen explores the life and thoughts of Ibn Tufayl and assesses the influence and legacy of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, Ibn Tufayl’s famous philosophical romance. Hayy Ibn Yaqzan became a popular and often-copied work in early modern Europe.

It has since secured a place as one of the best-read works in all Arabic literature, partly due to its outstanding literary qualities, in part because it provides an ideal introduction to the themes and preoccupations of classical Arabic philosophy. The study sets Hayy in its historical and philosophical context and paints a vivid portrait of the world as Ibn Tufayl saw it and as he wished for it to be seen.Kukkonen is also a professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Victoria.

The scholars’ areas of research and interest are classical Arabic philosophy, Aristotle, and the Aristotelian and Platonic traditions.Photo: Front cover of the Persian edition of Taneli Kukkonen’s book “Ibn Tufayl: Living the Life of Reason”.MMS/YAW