Al-Razi 854 – 925
Al-Razi (854 – 925) was a Persian philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Islamic Philosophy and Medieval Philosophy.
Abu Bakr al-Razi, known to the Latin West as Rhazes, was a Persian polymath, physician, alchemist, and philosopher, and one of the most original minds of the Islamic Golden Age. As head of hospitals in Rayy and Baghdad, he produced a vast encyclopedic medical work, the Comprehensive Book, and a celebrated treatise on smallpox and measles. In philosophy he defended a strikingly heterodox position: that the prophets are unnecessary because reason is the gift of God to every human being, and that revealed religion is a source of conflict among peoples. He held that knowledge is the highest good and the practice of medicine its proper exercise.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Persian
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Islamic Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Al-Razi:
“Truth in medicine is an unattainable goal, and the art as described in books is far beneath the knowledge of an experienced thoughtful physician.”
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Attributed to Al-Razi:
“All learning is preceded by the recognition of one's own ignorance.”
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Attributed to Al-Razi:
“The intellect is God's greatest gift to humankind, and we should not impose another authority above it.”
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Attributed to Al-Razi:
“When the patient gets too much medicine, the disease is harmed but the patient is harmed too.”
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Attributed to Al-Razi:
“The physician's task is to imitate the work of nature.”
Al-Razi by topic
Frequently asked about Al-Razi
- When did Al-Razi live?
- Al-Razi was born in 854 and died in 925.
- Where was Al-Razi from?
- Al-Razi was a Persian philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Al-Razi associated with?
- Al-Razi was associated with Islamic Philosophy and Medieval Philosophy.
- What was Al-Razi known for?
- Abu Bakr al-Razi, known to the Latin West as Rhazes, was a Persian polymath, physician, alchemist, and philosopher, and one of the most original minds of the Islamic Golden Age.
- How many quotes are attributed to Al-Razi?
- There are 9 attributed quotations from Al-Razi in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.