STUDIES IN ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE Published under the auspices of the Society for the Study of Islamic Philosophy and Science Eprrortat. Boar George F. Hourani, State University of New York at Buffalo Muhsin Mahdi, Harvard University Parvie Morewedge, Baruch Callge of City Universi of New York a ° Nicholas Rescher, University of Pittsburgh Ehsan Yar-Shater, Columbia University AL-KINDI’S METAPHYSICS A Translation of Ya‘qiib ibn Ishaq al-Kindi’s Treatise “ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY” (ft al-Falsafah al-Ola) usa with Introduction and Commentary by Alfred L. Ivry STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS ALBANY, 1974Published by State University of New York Press 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210 © 1974 State University of New York Al rights reserved Printed in the U.S.A. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data al-Kindi, dca. 873. al-Kind’s Metaphysics. “Published under the auspices of the Society for the Study of Islamic Philosophy and Science.” ‘A revised version ofthe editor's doctoral dissertation, Oxford University Bibliography: p. 1. Philosophy, Islamic. I. Ivry, Alfred L.,1935- ed. 11. Society for the Study of Islamic Philosophy and Science. IMI. Title. IV. Title: ‘On first philosophy. 1B53.K53F3513. 1974 18.07 7o-171182 ISBN 0.87395.002-5 FOR JOANNAcknowledgments sw Tas work is a revised version of an Oxford University doctoral dissertation. It has grown out of research begun at Oxford in 1963-65 while I was on a Fulbright Fellowship there. I am grateful to the Principal and Fellows of Linacre College for their hospitality and friendship during my stay in Oxford. T was encouraged to work on al-Kindi by Richard Walzer, F.B.A,, whose knowledge and understanding have been @ constant source of inspiration. The work in its present form has also benefited from recommendations suggested by Professors S. Pines, F. Rosenthal, R. J. McCarthy, S.J., M.C. Lyons, and N. Kretzmann. The Hull Publication Memorial Fund of Cornell University has facilitated the pub- lication of this book with a generous subvention, and the Editorial Board of the Society for the Study of Islamic Philos- ophy and Science has shown great interest in the publication of this work. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all these scholars and institutions for their assistance. Portions of this study have appeared in Islamic Philosophy and the Classical Tradition: Essays Presented ... to Richard Walzer (Cassirer, 1972) ; Essays on Islamic Philosophy and Science (Albany, forthcoming). I wish to thank the editors of these publica tions for giving me their permission to present the material in its present form. Cornell University AL Ithaca, New York September 1971