1001Philosophers

Mohammed Abed al-Jabri 1935 – 2010

Mohammed Abed al-Jabri (1935 – 2010) was a Moroccan philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Islamic Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy.

Mohammed Abed al-Jabri was a Moroccan philosopher, long associated with Mohammed V University in Rabat, and one of the most influential Arab thinkers of the late twentieth century. His four-volume Critique of Arab Reason offered a sustained genealogy of the structures of classical Arab-Islamic thought, distinguishing the bayan tradition of Arabic linguistic science, the irfan tradition of Sufi gnosis, and the burhan tradition of Greek-influenced demonstrative philosophy, and called for an Arab modernity rooted in the rationalist legacy of Andalusian Averroism. His Democracy, Human Rights and Law in Islamic Thought made the case for a democratic and pluralist reading of the classical Islamic political tradition.

Key facts

Nationality
Moroccan
Era
Contemporary
Movements
Islamic Philosophy, Analytic Philosophy

Selected quotes

  • Attributed to Mohammed Abed al-Jabri:

    “Arab reason has three faces: the bayan of language, the irfan of mysticism, and the burhan of demonstration.”

  • Attributed to Mohammed Abed al-Jabri:

    “Modernity for the Arabs begins not in imitation of Europe, but in the Andalusian rationalism of Averroes.”

  • Attributed to Mohammed Abed al-Jabri:

    “A tradition is alive only when its rationalism is recovered against its own dogmatism.”

  • Attributed to Mohammed Abed al-Jabri:

    “Democracy is not foreign to the Islamic political imagination; it is one of its possibilities.”

  • Attributed to Mohammed Abed al-Jabri:

    “The critique of reason is the only path to the renewal of culture.”

Frequently asked about Mohammed Abed al-Jabri

When did Mohammed Abed al-Jabri live?
Mohammed Abed al-Jabri was born in 1935 and died in 2010.
Where was Mohammed Abed al-Jabri from?
Mohammed Abed al-Jabri was a Moroccan philosopher of the Contemporary era.
What philosophical movements is Mohammed Abed al-Jabri associated with?
Mohammed Abed al-Jabri was associated with Islamic Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy.
What was Mohammed Abed al-Jabri known for?
Mohammed Abed al-Jabri was a Moroccan philosopher, long associated with Mohammed V University in Rabat, and one of the most influential Arab thinkers of the late twentieth century.
How many quotes are attributed to Mohammed Abed al-Jabri?
There are 5 attributed quotations from Mohammed Abed al-Jabri in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.