Islamic Aesthetics - Prof. Nasr
Islamic Aesthetics - Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Work: Islamic art and spirituality -
Introduction
Aesthetics, as a branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and art, was not treated as a separate subject by Islamic philosophers (falāsifa or ḥukamā). Unlike Western philosophers such as Hegel or Croce, Islamic thinkers addressed aesthetics indirectly. To understand Islamic aesthetics, one must examine passages from Peripatetic (mashshā’ī) philosophers, the Illuminationist (ishrāqī) school, and Sufi writings, as well as oral traditions transmitted by masters of Islamic arts.
Peripatetic Philosophers and Aesthetics
Islamic Peripatetic philosophers primarily discussed aesthetics in relation to poetry, often commenting on Aristotle’s Poetics. Key figures include:
- Al-Fārābī: Viewed poetry as "imaginative syllogistic proof by example," distinguishing it from rational discourse. Critics argued his theory was too subjective.
- Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna): Emphasized the role of pleasure and moral value in poetic syllogisms. He linked aesthetics to ethics, asserting that good poetry reflects balance and harmony, while evil poetry lacks aesthetic value.
- Ibn Rushd (Averroes): Recognized the importance of metaphors and allegories in poetry, aligning poetic validity with truth and harmony.
Illuminationist and Sufi Contributions
The Illuminationist school and Sufis expanded on aesthetics, focusing on beauty, love, and the imaginal world (‘ālam al-mithāl):
- Suhrawardī: In Treatise on the Reality of Love, he described beauty as a hypostatic reality emanating from the Divine Intellect. Beauty, love, and sorrow are interconnected, with beauty being the highest expression of divine knowledge.
- Ibn ‘Arabī: Developed the doctrine of the imaginal world, where forms exist independently of matter. This concept is central to understanding Islamic art as a bridge between material and spiritual realms.
- Mullā Ṣadrā: Further elaborated on the imaginal world, describing it as the origin of artistic forms, which are reflections of higher archetypes.
Sufi Aesthetics
Sufis like Rūmī and al-Ghazzālī emphasized the spiritual dimension of beauty:
- Al-Ghazzālī: Linked outward beauty to inner perfection, stating that art reveals the inner beauty of its creator. His brother, Ahmad Ghazzālī, wrote Inspirations from the World of Pure Spirits, equating beauty with the divine imprint on creation.
- Rūmī: Distinguished between outward form (ṣūra) and inner meaning (ma‘nā). Art, for Rūmī, facilitates the journey from form to meaning, with beauty serving as a gateway to the Divine. His famous parable of the Chinese and Greek painters illustrates how true art reflects celestial prototypes.
Conclusion
Islamic aesthetics is deeply rooted in metaphysics, ethics, and spirituality. It views art as a means of recollection (dhikr), guiding the soul toward divine beauty. Traditional Islamic art—whether calligraphy, architecture, or music—reflects the harmony and unity of the cosmos, embodying the Quranic principle: "Whithersoever ye turn, there is the Face of God" (2:115).
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Note: This summary is based on Seyyed Hossein Nasr's exploration of Islamic aesthetics, synthesizing insights from philosophers, mystics, and artists across Islamic history
Citations:
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1834764
[2] https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1050&context=comparativephilosophy
[3] https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/illuminationism
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Islamic_philosophy
[6] https://www.academia.edu/23072023/The_Spread_of_the_Illuminationist_School_of_Suhrawardi
[7] https://philpapers.org/rec/NASIAT
[8] https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/intro-philosophy/islamic-peripatetic-philosophy
[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminationism
[10] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781405164566.ch33
[11] https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvxcrvmq
[12] https://philpapers.org/archive/ZIATIT.pdf
[13] https://www.academia.edu/23183856/Islamic_Aesthetics
[14] https://philpapers.org/rec/AZARUO
[15] https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/35902
[16] https://www.abebooks.com/9780903880350/Islamic-Art-Spirituality-Nasr-Seyyed-0903880350/plp
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_philosophy
