Al-Kindi

Abu Yusuf Yaʿqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi (b. c. 800–d. c. 870) was the first faylasuf, that is, the first philosopher to write in Arabic in response to Greek sources. He was deeply involved in the translation of Greek science and philosophy into Arabic, as he oversaw the so-called “Kindi circle,” a group of mostly Christian translators who produced versions of works by Aristotle, Plotinus, and Proclus, among others. It does not seem that al-Kindi himself was a translator. Instead, he “corrected” the translations and probably helped select the works to be translated. His own philosophical writings, many of which are preserved in a single manuscript, show the deep impact of Aristotle and Neoplatonism on his thought. Yet he was an original thinker who aimed to show the relevance of the Greek sources for a Muslim audience. He freely adapted, combined, and built on these sources in his own treatises.