Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science [Paperback]

A stupendous piece of work by the author and a fascinating read once you get into it. And by putting the work of the scientists of this period into perspective the book also brings out and explains many of the basic scientific issues that have intrigued our species. It also illuminates historical aspects of the relationship between the Islamic world and "the west". I just wish the author had got stuck into the subject matter more quickly and saved us his personal history and photos of himself in Baghdad!

Enjoy!

Pathfinders: The golden age of Arabic science, by Jim al-Khalili, Allen Lane, 2010, 336 ff.

The origins of western science
By Howard Jones

In 2002, in her book Ornament of the World, Maria Rosa Menocal gave us an insight into the debt we owe the Islamic civilization of al-Andalus, which from 750 to 1492 did so much to shape the western culture of the post-Renaissance. We tend to think of western science as essentially beginning with Copernicus, with a nod in the direction of some of the ancient Greek philosophers, such as Aristarchus for the heliocentric theory; or Leucippus and Democritus for the atomic theory. Bertrand Russell portrayed the Islamic scholars as doing little other than transcribe the scientific philosophy of ancient Greece. Menocal showed us how Christian, Jewish and Islamic scholars worked together in harmony not only to render ancient Greek ideas into Arabic, Hebrew and Latin, but also to create much that was new. Al-Khalili adds to this source of original knowledge.

Jim al-Khalili presents another side of this story, but his book focuses on the 9th century Abbasid caliphate of Abu Ja'far Abdullah al-Ma'mum that was centred on Baghdad. It was called Bayt al-Hikma, the House of Wisdom. Jim al-Khalili is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Surry and has already written one of the more accessible books on quantum physics. There were scholars in Baghdad in many of the scientific disciplines. The names of some of these have emerged in the west over recent decades, like al-Khwarizmi whose book, the title of which is abbreviated to al-Jebr, gave us our algebra; al-Biruni, who was a contemporary of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and debated the philosophy of science with him. Our word `alchemy' is from the Arabic `al-kimiya', `the art of transmutation'; and there are many other words in everyday use, such as alkali and algorithm, that have an Arabic origin.

Most of the other scholars whose work al-Khalili describes were quite new to me. There is something of the general history of the period in this book; but for the most part it focuses on cosmology, arithmetic, algebra, physics, philosophy and medicine in separate chapters, and the contribution of the Arabian scholars. We must remember that this is only two centuries after the life of The Prophet and the social system that his vision inaugurated. So the progress made in learning was considerable and rapid. Of course, the Islamic scholars were also busy translating Greek and Roman texts, but this book puts into perspective the derivative work with the original.

This is a fascinating book, full of scholarship and original historical material, and absolutely no symbolic mathematics to deter the reader. It puts the ancient scholars of Baghdad and their contribution to our heritage into a very human context, though perhaps we could have done with less personal material. There are several pages of Notes, a Glossary of scientists, and an Index at the end. This would make an excellent complement to the books by Menocal and that on the history of western ideas by Richard Tarnas.

Dr Howard A. Jones is the author of The Thoughtful Guide to God (2006) and The Tao of Holism (2008), both published by O Books of Winchester, U.K.; and The World as Spirit published by Fairhill Publishing, Whitland, West Wales, 2011.

The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain
The Passion Of The Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World View

It makes a refreshing change to read a history book written by a scientist. It is quite clear the difference between fact, speculation and personal opinion, something not always the case when a traditional historian writes.

I half expected a book full of excessive gushing praise for the Arab scientists in this period in history but that does not do the writer justice. The book is very clear when the scientists miss the mark but provides sound reasoning for why we should be considering some of these people on a par with the well known greats from Greek and later European history.

Quite hard going at times with rereads needed occasionally but well worth it and necessary to give a sound understanding of not just the work of the scientists but their place in history as of that of their benefactors. Yet another example in history showing the benefits of investment in science and technology to the progress of a civilisation, current leaders in the West should take note!