ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a short introduction into the life and works of Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin Yaʿqūb bin Miskawayh (320–421/932–1030), who is the author of Tahḏīb al-aḫlāq (The Refinement of Character), an ethical treatise that had a wide-ranging influence in the Islamic intellectual history. In this work, while following closely the Aristotelian Ethics, Miskawayh adopts a mélange of Aristotelian, Neo-Platonic, and Islamic ideas, harmonizing the various strands of the ancient Greek philosophy and Islamic thought. The chapter also explores the emergence and history of Islamic philosophy, as it had been shaped decisively during the Abbasid rule in Baghdad. At the same time, the chapter elaborates the relationship between theology and philosophy in Islam and advocates a hermeneutical model that suggests a willingness to learn from other intellectual traditions. Finally, Miskawayh is portrayed as a philosopher who has embodied exactly that kind of epistemological curiosity toward the ancient Greek heritage and whose methodology might be adapted for contemporary engagements between Islamic thought and philosophy.
