Instead, his problem with the depictions of Socrates as an ascetic is that “they ignore many other things about him” (p. Yet Al-Razi does not dispute the veracity of these stories. From our perspective, it seems that these stories conflate sources describing the life of Diogenes the Cynic with traditions of Islamic mysticism. For instance, Socrates lives in a barrel and eats only “dry herbage” (p. Some aspects of Socrates’ life are that of an ascetic. I conclude by briefly assessing Al-Razi’s argument.įor Al-Razi, the life of philosophy can be found in the “model of our leader Socrates” (p. In this essay, I briefly describe some of the key characteristics of this philosophical life, mention some aspects that are not part of this way of life, and outline the reasons Al-Razi gives in defense of his conception.
In the text The Philosopher’s Way of Life, Al-Razi articulates his view of the philosophical life as a way of moderation between the two extremes of hedonism and asceticism.
0 kommentar(er)
