Ibn Tufayl Quotes
Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Tufayl was an Andalusian philosopher, physician, and statesman, court physician to the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf and a patron of the young Averroes. His philosophical novel Hayy ibn Yaqzan, the story of a child who grows up alone on a desert island and arrives by unaided reason at the deepest truths of philosophy and religion, is one of the most original works of medieval philosophy. The quotes below are attributed to Ibn Tufayl, organized by topic.
Ibn Tufayl on God
-
Attributed to Ibn Tufayl:
“The wise man, alone on his island, can yet contemplate the divine.”
Ibn Tufayl on Knowledge
-
Attributed to Ibn Tufayl:
“The senses give us the materials, the intellect builds the structure.”
Ibn Tufayl on Mind
-
Attributed to Ibn Tufayl:
“Solitude is the condition under which the soul most easily ascends.”
Ibn Tufayl on Nature
-
Attributed to Ibn Tufayl:
“The book of nature is open to anyone who would read it.”
Ibn Tufayl on Truth
-
Attributed to Ibn Tufayl:
“True religion arises from reason, and revelation confirms what reason discovers.”