naverhtrad's review
2.0
This book was a brief - perhaps too brief - doxography of Alfarabi with a single overriding central thesis, that the scholastic synthesis of Alfarabi of neo-Platonism and Aristotelianism was vital to the development of the medieval thought of Thomas Aquinas. This point is interesting, and even historically convincing, but it is rather belabored. Other than that, it there is little to say: it's an adequate doxography with some valuable quotes from the philosopher. Unfortunately, the overall text is marred somewhat by confusing formatting, editing and annotation choices. (For example, in one place, on a discussion of Alfarabi's psychology, a commentary of Albertus Magnus on Alfarabi is passed off as Alfarabi's own opinion.)
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