Abstract

The entire life of al-Fārābī, who came to be known as the “Second Teacher”, Aristotle being the First, was dedicated to the essence of knowledge and to the the methods of obtaining knowledge. In the present text we will try to demonstrate how al-Fārābī’s concepts of knowledge and of epistemological process become the unifying elements of all major themes in the Muslim philosopher’s works - ontology, philosophy, religion, man, human community and the philosopher-prophet as the perfect ruler.