Alfarabi, Book of Letters (<em>Kitab Al-Huruf</em>)

Alfarabi, Book of Letters (Kitab Al-Huruf) English Translation with Introduction, Interpretive Essay and Annotations, plus Muhsin Mahdi's revised edition of the Arabic text. About the Book In this work, in what seems to be a discussion of Aristotle’s Metaphysics—often referred to by the letters of its chapters—and thus something like a “book of letters,” Alfarabi traces the development of logic and language as they affect the relationship between syllogistic inquiry, philosophy, and religion. Presented here is a complete translation of the work—the first in English or any language—and a new Arabic edition of the text Muhsin Mahdi was working on prior to his death.  The work is divided into three parts. Part 1 introduces the letters or particles termed “categories” by Aristotle in his logic and discussed summarily in the Metaphysics. Alfarabi shows how they lead from the Categories through De Interpretatione to the beginnings of syllogistic reasoning and the concepts investigated in the