Al-Razi Quotes
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. The quotes below are attributed to Al-Razi, organized by topic.
Al-Razi on Knowledge
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Attributed to Al-Razi:
“All learning is preceded by the recognition of one's own ignorance.”
Al-Razi on Mind
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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.”
Al-Razi on Nature
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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 on Truth
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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.”