On the Scope of Aristotle's Metaphysics

What it is

This manuscript preserves al-Farabi's short treatise on the purpose of Aristotle's Metaphysics. It is written in Arabic and held as part of a manuscript collection, shown here in two open folio pages.

Why it matters

Al-Farabi was known as the 'Second Teacher' after Aristotle because of his work explaining Greek philosophy to later generations. This treatise is historically important because the philosopher Avicenna, writing decades later, said it helped him finally understand Aristotle's Metaphysics, showing how ideas passed between scholars across generations.

Look closer

• What do the red ink heading and careful handwriting tell you about how this text was valued by later copyists?
• Why might a difficult philosophical work need a separate treatise just explaining its 'scope' or aims?
• What does the survival of this manuscript tell you about how philosophy was passed down in the Islamic world?