Influence and legacy Hayy ibn Yaqdhan

1 influence , legacy

1.1 middle east
1.2 europe
1.3 north america

influence , legacy

hayy ibn yaqdhan had significant influence on arabic literature, persian literature, , european literature, , went on become influential best-seller throughout western europe in 17th , 18th centuries. work had profound influence on both islamic philosophy , modern western philosophy. became 1 of important books heralded scientific revolution , european enlightenment, , thoughts expressed in novel can found in different variations , different degrees in books of thomas hobbes, john locke, isaac newton, , immanuel kant. george sarton considered novel 1 of original books of middle ages.

middle east

in late 12th century, avicenna s original persian version of hayy ibn yaqzan inspired shahab al-din suhrawardi write story of western loneliness, in began story avicenna ended hayy ibn yaqzan.

in 13th century, ibn tufail s hayy ibn yaqdhan inspired ibn al-nafis write first theological novel, al-risalah al-kamiliyyah fil sīra al-nabawiyyah (the treatise of kamil on prophet s biography), known in west theologus autodidactus, written critical response ibn tufail s hayy ibn yaqdhan , in defense of of al-ghazali s views. theologus autodidactus based on feral child living on desert island plot later expanded beyond setting , evolved first example of science fiction novel. ibn al-nafis novel later translated english in 20th century theologus autodidactus.

in 2001, arabic animated cartoon, hay - gazelle child, produced adaptation of ibn tufail s hayy ibn yaqdhan.

europe

a latin translation of ibn tufail s work, entitled philosophus autodidactus, first published in 1671, prepared edward pococke younger, had completed translation prior 1660. novel inspired concept of tabula rasa developed in essay concerning human understanding (1690) john locke, student of pococke, , referred translation novelty . philosophus autodidactus inspired robert boyle, acquaintance of pococke, write own philosophical novel set on island, aspiring naturalist.

the first english translation of novel published quaker george keith in 1674, , george ashwell in 1686; both based on pococke s latin translation. first english translation of arabic original, entitled improvement of human reason: exhibited in life of hai ebn yokdhan, published shortly after simon ockley in 1708, followed 2 more english translations. baruch spinoza read work , encouraged dutch translation, published friend johannes bouwmeester in 1672. dutch translation, de natuurlijke wijsgeer, published adriaan reland in 1701.

there 2 german translations of novel, first based on latin translation , second based on arabic original. 1 of these translations read gottfried leibniz, praised excellent example of classical arabic philosophy. in paris, pococke s agent wrote him stating delivered copy sorbonne thankful, being delighted it.

in 1719, 1 of english translations of hayy ibn yaqdhan inspired daniel defoe write robinson crusoe, set on deserted island , regarded first novel in english. in turn, robinson crusoe had enormous impact on thought of enlightenment. in 1761, anonymous crusoe story printed in london, entitled life , surprising adventures of don antonio de trezannio, of conveyed or paraphrased ockley s translation of hayy ibn yaqdhan. ockley s translation published again in 1804 paul bronnie in london. despite hayy ibn yaqdhan being written in islamic spain, first spanish translation of novel wasn t published until 1900, f. pons boigues in zaragoza. accurate french translation published same year prof. l. gauthier @ algiers.

the story of hayy ibn yaqdhan anticipated jean-jacques rousseau s emile: or, on education in ways, , similar later story of mowgli in rudyard kipling s jungle book. both rousseau , kipling have been influenced hayy ibn yaqzan. other modern european scholars , writers influenced philosophus autodidactus include melchisédech thévenot, john wallis, christiaan huygens, george keith, robert barclay, quakers, samuel hartlib, karl marx, , voltaire.

north america

the english translation of hayy ibn yaqdhan known royal society , new england company in north america 1721, when cotton mather s christian philosopher cited hayy ibn yaqdhan influence. despite condemning mahometans infidels, mather viewed protagonist of novel, hayy, model ideal christian philosopher , monotheistic scientist . mather viewed hayy noble savage , applied in context of attempting understand native american indians in order convert them puritan christianity.