It is the first translation of al-Kindī`s philosophical writings into English; only a handful of the two dozen works included had been translated into English before, and some of these were not easy to get hold of. Some others had been translated into other modern languages, but again these were not necessarily easy to find. And certainly this is the first opportunity to see all of al-Kindī`s work in one place in any European language.
Adamson has already written a monograph on the thought of al-Kind? (also published by OUP in the Great Medieval Thinkers series). This monograph, together with the abundant supporting material in the present volume, should help to make al-Kindī`s thought comprehensible and interesting to a wider public.
Because al-Kindī is the first philosopher in the Islamic world, he is of obvious historical importance, and he is an influential thinker who needs to be read carefully to understand the background of such famous authors as al-Farabī and Avicenna.
Al-Kindī`s ideas on many topics are of philosophical, as well as historical importance: for instance he has novel and fascinating discussions of God`s unity, the eternity of the world, soul`s relation to body, divine providence, ethics, and the nature of knowledge.
Not only is this the first comprehensive English version of al-Kindī`s works; it is in fact the first such collection devoted to any philosopher who wrote in Arabic. So this is an unprecedented opportunity for readers to see the entire output of a major thinker from this tradition in the round, with all aspects of his thought gathered together in one place.

This volume presents the philosophical writings of al-Kindī, known as the `Philosopher of the Arabs`. Acknowledged as the first philosopher of the Arabic tradition, al-Kindī helped usher the ideas of Greek thinkers and scientists into the vibrant context of the Islamic culture of his day. He was deeply involved in the translation and reception of such thinkers as Socrates, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Euclid. Drawing on this Hellenic heritage, he wrote on a wide range of philosophical and scientific topics including metaphysics, theology, psychology, cosmology, ethics, and medicine. In these works, al-Kindī set out pioneering ideas about the relation of philosophy to religion, the oneness and providence of God, the nature of the human soul, the structure of the cosmos, and the eternity of the world. This book makes the whole of al-Kind?`s philosophical corpus-some two dozen works-available in English, most of them for the first time. Extensive explanatory material is provided, in the form of an overall introduction, introductions to each work, and extensive notes. The translations are based largely on Arabic original texts, but in a few cases, where the Arabic originals are lost, on Medieval Latin versions. The volume will thus give a wide readership unprecedented access to al-Kindī`s philosophical and scientific ideas.

Readership: General readers with an interest in the history of philosophy or Islamic intellectual history. Academic readers from advanced undergraduates up to professional experts, in the following areas: ancient and medieval philosophy; medieval studies; Islamic studies; philosophy of religion; comparative religion; history of science (especially cosmology and the relation of science to astrology and magic). It could be used as a textbook for courses in medieval philosophy, Islamic philosophy, or Islamic studies. It would be appropriate for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.