On Some Aspects in Narboni's Political Philosophy According to his Commentary on Ibn Tufail's "Hayy Ibn Yakzan" / על מספר סוגיות במשנתו המדינית של ר' משה נרבוני: על פי פירושו ל"חי בן יקט'אן" לאבן טפיל

• Published in: Daʻat no. 60; pp. 71 - 101
• Main Authors: שיפמן, יאיר, Shiffman, Yair
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Hebrew
• Published: אוניברסיטת בר-אילן 01-01-2007
• ISSN: 0334-2336

The Spanish Muslim philosopher Abu Bakr Ibn Tufail apparently wrote his book, Risalah Hayy Ibn Yakdhan, in the 1170s. Narboni wrote his commentary to this book in 1349. There is a connection between Narboni,s life — a saga of persecution, wandering, and detachment from normal and community life — and his spiritual inclination towards Ibn Tufail and Ibn Bajja. Both thinkers thought that man can reach intellectual perfection by separating himself as much as possible from human society. Total isolation is impossible due to man,s animal nature. Narboni, as well as Ibn Tufail, thinks that the secrets of religion are not to be revealed to the masses, since such matters are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Instead, their transmission should be restricted through the agency of esoteric works. The inhabitants of the adjacent island could not be educated by Hayy according to his philosophical and mystic terminology. Consequently he returned to his island, leaving them to lead their lives according to the commandments of revealed religion. Man can reach God either intellectually or mystically, but the second stage has to be based on intellectual perfection. The Moslem Sufis were mistaken in their attempt to attain union with God through ecstasy devoid of intellectual perfection.