The Book of Knowledge

Auteur

Ralph Goertz studied Theater, Law and German Studies at the Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany and made his Master degree (M.A.S.) in Cultural Management and Science of Art at the University of Art and Design in Zurich/Luzern, Switzerland. He is the founder of the IKS (The Institute for Art Documentation and Scenography promotes, produces and arranges art in the form of documentaries, television contributions and media art installations).

Texte du rabat

The Book of Knowledge is the foundation of the forty books of the Revival of the Religious Sciences, Imam al-Ghazali's magnum opus. In the Book of Knowledge, he defines knowledge, its relation to faith, theology, and jurisprudence. The book deals with the virtue of knowledge from both rational and traditional points of view. It elucidates the types of knowledge and the nature of people's obligation to seek knowledge. Imam al-Ghazali defines jurisprudence and theology as branches of Islamic knowledge, then outlines those fields that people incorrectly consider to be Islamic disciplines, and distinguishes the praiseworthy from the blameworthy. He describes in detail the perils of disputation and the reasons people engage in debate and dialectics. He also considers the conduct incumbent on the teacher and student, and warns of the perils that can befall those pursuing knowledge. Finally, Imam al-Ghazali discusses the virtues and categories of the intellect and the prophetic traditions related to it.