ABSTRACT
To Jewish as to Mohammedan students, the study of Greek philosophy to which they began to apply themselves from about the beginning of the ninth century provided at once a precious stimulus to thought and a challenge to their religious belief. Here subjects on which their own sacred books laid down the law dogmatically were treated in a spirit of free inquiry and rational investigation. That this was a right and proper way of treating them seemed self-evident to all who possessed a philosophic bent of mind. Free inquiry was the note of Arabic culture; and these books showed them how to carry it into the field of religious belief as well. On the other hand, Greek philosophy was a dangerous edge tool, as it frequently arrived at results greatly at variance with the teaching of revealed religion.
