Al-Farabi: A Study of Philosophical Terminology

Abstract

Abstract

This paper examines Al-Farabi's contribution to the establishment of Arabic philosophical terminology by exploring the intrinsic relationship between language and thought, taking Kitāb al-Ḥurūf (The Book of Letters) as its primary analytical framework. It argues that Al-Farabi transcended the role of a translator to become the founder of a comprehensive linguistic and philosophical theory, one that conceives language as an instrument for the production of knowledge rather than merely a vehicle of expression. The study further investigates the transmission of philosophical terminology from Greek and Syriac into Arabic, highlighting the methodological principles employed by Al-Farabi, including semantic equivalence, analogy, lexical innovation, and Arabization in the formulation of philosophical concepts. It also analyzes several fundamental philosophical terms—such as substance, accident, essence, and existence—demonstrating their semantic transformation from ordinary linguistic usage to specialized philosophical meanings. The paper concludes that Al-Farabi's intellectual project marked a decisive turning point in the history of Islamic philosophy by establishing a rigorous methodology for the conceptualization of philosophical terminology and by laying the foundations of a precise Arabic philosophical language capable of expressing universal philosophical concepts.