Mohammad Javad Esmaeili

My dissertation was successfully submitted in 2011 with the title "Aristotle, Philoponus, Avicenna, and Buridan on Dynamics". Apart from the articles I have published on the subject, I have also edited a number of books on Islamic philosophy. Most recently, I completed the editio princeps of the Natural Philosophy section of Abu ʼl-ʿAbbās Lawkarī's (d. 503/1109-10) philosophical encyclopaedia Bayān al-ḥaqq bi-ḍamān al-ṣidq (with an analytic and historical introduction). This edition, carried out in cooperation with Joep Lameer from The Netherlands, appeared in the series Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Science, Texts and Studies, with Brill in April 2025. Over the past years I was invited to conferences in various countries in Asia and Europe. I am a member of the academic staff at the Iranian Institute of Philosophy in Tehran and a corresponding member of the Trinity Plato Centre. I publish in Persian and English, mainly on the history of Aristotle’s Physics in the Avicennan tradition.

 

Abstract: For a decade, I've challenged linear models of natural philosophy in the Islamic world, finding they miss the era's vibrant intellectual exchange. I propose a framework focused on the dynamic interplay between philosophers (Falāsifa) and theologians (Mutakallimūn), recognizing their intertwined paths within specific social contexts. This requires rethinking key questions: What constitutes historical knowledge? How do we define philosophy within this world? Which themes need renewed focus? Which sources are most vital? The core is analyzing concepts like principles, causes, nature, motion, space, and infinity. This illuminates knowledge production and the connection between philosophy and theology. By tracing the evolution of these ideas and the impact of cross-cultural exchange (like Plato's Timaeus and Aristotle's Physics), I aim to offer a fresh perspective on Islamic thought, enriching contemporary philosophical discourse.