Sciences, Philosophie, Histoire – UMR 7219, laboratoire SPHERE

IMA Thursdays devote a thematic cycle to the rich history of al-Andalus and the genius of its intellectual and artistic productions that still inspire us today.

Located at the extremity of the inhabited land, far from the eastern heart of Islam, al-Andalus, which was born in 711, is one of the places where Arab culture revealed itself in its most beautiful brilliance in the "Middle Age". Cordoba then rivaled Baghdad, and this Arab “island” located between the Maghreb and Latin Christianity canceled out the factitious distinction between East and West. In 1492, at the end of a long history of almost eight centuries, al-Andalus disappeared under the blows of the Catholic Monarchs.

This cycle of conferences aims to make history and philosophy resonate together in order to disentangle history from myth, and to highlight the powerful contribution of al-Andalus to the universal history of knowledge. Jacques Berque had seen this magnificently when he called for “Andalusia that is always starting afresh, of which we carry both the heaped up rubble and the tireless hope.

Program

---

Thursdays, 7pm, Room of Haut Conseil (9th Floor), Institut du Monde Arabe,

Jeudi 9 mars 2023

Qu’est-ce qu’al-Andalus ?

What are we talking about when we talk about al-Andalus? We will give the landmarks of a history that stretches throughout the Middle Ages, from 711 to 1492. Within plural societies, al-Andalus is also a brilliant cultural and spiritual life, illustrated by great poets, geographers, astronomers, mathematicians, jurists, but also by philosophers or Sufi mystics. We will make the table. What were the currents and major themes of “science” in al-Andalus? How does this fit into the panorama of eight centuries of political and social history?

• Jean-Baptiste Brenet, Professor of Arabic philosophy at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

• Joël Chandelier, lecturer in medieval history at the University of Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis

• Francesco Chiabotti, lecturer at INALCO

• Emmanuelle Tixier du Mesnil, professor of medieval history at the University of Paris Nanterre

Thursday March 16

The enlightment of al-Andalus (I): Science and the Arts

ow did the sciences cultivated in the Abbasid East pass into al-Andalus? How did the transfer of science and access to “universal” knowledge take place? How are the production and dissemination of knowledge organised? We will try to answer these questions, emphasizing the importance of the 11th century, a time of dissension and political unrest, but also of cultural apogee.

• Jean-Baptiste BRENET, Professor of Arabic philosophy at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

• Bruna Soravia, historian of Al-Andalus

• Emmanuelle Tixier du Mesnil, Professor of medieval history at the University of Paris Nanterre

Jeudi 23 mars

The enlightment of al-Andalus (II): Philosophy

Al-Andalus is a great land of philosophy, where Aristotelianism and neo-Platonism mingle. We will present some of the major figures of Andalusian thought, such as Averroes, Ibn Ṭufayl, Ibn Bâjja, Ibn Gabirol, Judah Hallevi and Maimonides. What were the currents and the main works? What was the political and ideological context? What were the problems addressed, the controversies, the inventions?

• Pierre Bouretz, Director of Studies at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS)

• Jean-Baptiste Brenet, Professor of Arabic philosophy at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

• Mehdi Ghouirgate, Lecturer at the University of Bordeaux III Michel de Montaigne

• David Lemler, Lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Hebrew Studies at Sorbonne University

Jeudi 30 mars

Did Al-Andalus exist? The myth, the legacy

For this last session, it will be a question of taking stock of the Andalusian “Enlightenment” and more broadly of al-Andalus: what about the Andalusian myth, and what remains of it? What is his legacy? Can "Al-Andalus" be a model for our modernity?

• Jean-Baptiste Brenet, Professor of Arabic philosophy at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

• Emmanuelle Tixier du Mesnil, Professor of medieval history at the University of Paris Nanterre

Venue
Institut du Monde Arabe, salle du Haut Conseil (9th Floor), 1, rue des Fossés-Saint-Bernard, Place Mohammed-V, 75005 Paris

Accès :
Bus: stops "Institut du Monde Arabe" (63, 67, 86, 87, 89), "Saint-Germain Cardinal Lemoine" (24, 63, 86, 87), "Université Paris 6" (24, 63, 89)
Metro: Jussieu (ligne 7), Cardinal Lemoine, (ligne 10)
Velib : Stations n° 5020 - 3 rue des Fosses Saint-Bernard, n° 5019 - 8-10 rue de Poissy, n° 5021 - 41 rue Jussieu
Parking: Maubert Collège des Bernardins, 39, bd Saint-Germain 75005
Taxis: Quai de la Tournelle - Tel: 01 43 25 92 99

---