Primary sourceBookc. 900s
The Spiritual Physick
Abu Bakr al-Razi · c. 900s
Al-Razi's treatise applying medical reasoning to ethics and the health of the soul, dedicated to his patron Mansur.
A philosophical work by al-Razi applying his medical thinking to ethics, showing his range beyond medicine.
About this source
What it is
Ṭibb al-rūḥānī, known as The Spiritual Physick, is a written work by Abu Bakr al-Razi. Like his medical treatise dedicated to the same ruler, it was written for Mansur, and it uses the language of physical medicine to discuss the health of the soul and good character.
Why it matters
The book shows al-Razi was not only a physician but also a moral philosopher, treating ethical failings such as envy, lying or excess almost like diseases to be diagnosed and cured. It reveals how closely medicine and philosophy were linked in his thinking, and the relationship between scholars like al-Razi and the rulers who supported their work.
Look closer
- Why might a doctor choose to write about moral behaviour using medical language?
- What does dedicating a book to a ruler tell us about how scholars were supported in this period?
- How might treating vices like illnesses change the way people think about correcting them?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Al-Razi on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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