[Revised entry by Therese-Anne Druart on May 14, 2024.
Changes to: Main text, Bibliography]
We know little that is really reliable about al-Fārābī’s life. Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī was probably born in 870 CE (AH 257) in a place called Farab or Farayb. In his youth he moved to Iraq and Baghdad. In 943 CE (AH 331) he went to Syria and Damascus. He may have gone to Egypt but died in Damascus in December 950 CE or January 951 CE (AH 339). Scholars have disputed his ethnic origin. Some claimed he was Turkish but more recent research points to him being a Persian…

Originally appeared on Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Read More