In this work, in what seems to be a discussion of Aristotle’s Metaphysics—often referred to by the letters of its chapters—and thus something like a “book of letters,” Alfarabi traces the development of logic and language as they affect the relationship between syllogistic inquiry, philosophy, and religion.
Presented here is a complete translation of the work—the first in English or any language—and a new Arabic edition of the text Muhsin Mahdi was working on prior to his death.
The work is divided into three parts. Part 1 introduces the letters or particles termed “categories” by Aristotle in his logic and discussed summarily in the Metaphysics. Alfarabi shows how they lead from the Categories through De Interpretatione to the beginnings of syllogistic reasoning and the concepts investigated in the Physics, De Anima, and Metaphysics: substance, essence, and being or existence. Part 2 begins with an exploration of the origin of human religion, turns to a narration about the origin of language, and concludes with an account of philosophy’s relation to religion. It also provides an exposition of the development of the syllogistic arts. Part 3 continues that exposition by exploring how the interrogative particles used in those arts contribute to investigations carried out in philosophy and the sciences, especially divine science. In the process, Alfarabi questions the limits of demonstrative reasoning and points to the epistemological advantages offered by dialectic.
