JOURNAL OF IQRO – ЖУРНАЛ ИҚРО – IQRO JURNALI – volume 15, issue 01, 2025
ISSN: 2181-4341, IMPACT FACTOR ( RESEARCH BIB ) – 7,245, SJIF – 5,431
ILMIY METODIK JURNAL
Aziza Qosimova
Independent researcher, TSPU
THE PLACE AND IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN THE VIEWS OF SCIENTISTS
OF THE EASTERN RENAISSANCE
Abstract:
This article explores the views of great thinkers of the Eastern Renaissance (9th–12th
centuries) on education and upbringing. It analyzes the significance of education in human
development and the contribution of each scholar to the evolution of pedagogical thought.
Keywords:
East, education, upbringing, thinker, human, teaching.
Introduction
The Early Eastern Renaissance (9th–12th centuries) emerged during the rule of the Karakhanids,
Ghaznavids, Seljuks, and Khwarazmshahs in the regions of Transoxiana and Khorasan. Despite
ongoing wars influenced by various factions, this era was a period of great cultural and scientific
progress, especially within the current territory of Uzbekistan. The establishment of independent
states brought about political autonomy and significant development opportunities in economy
and culture. This era is famously known as the Eastern Renaissance, characterized by the rise of
spiritual and intellectual enlightenment.
This was the time of brilliant philosophers such as Abu Nasr al-Farabi, Imam al-Bukhari,
Narshakhi, Mahmud Kashgari, al-Marghinani, Najmuddin Kubro, Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, Abu
Ali ibn Sina, az-Zamakhshari, and great poets like Rudaki, Yusuf Khos Khajib, Abu Bakr Khajib,
and Ahmad Khajib.
In the early 11th century, under Ma’mun Khwarazmshah, new research centers were established
in Khwarazm where prominent scholars of the East worked. This led to the foundation of what is
considered the first academy in Central Asia.
Young scholars from Transoxiana, such as Musa al-Khwarizmi, Ahmad al-Farghani, al-Marwazi,
al-Jawhari, and al-Marvardi, contributed immensely to both Central Asian science and global
culture. Baghdad became one of the world's main scientific and cultural centers. Amid the
growing struggle for freedom from the oppression of the Caliphate, the Samanid state emerged in
the late 9th century with Bukhara as its capital, lasting until the late 10th century.
During this time, new religious streams of Islam emerged, such as Mu'tazilism, Ismailism, and
Sufism, known for their free-thinking approaches. Cities like Bukhara, Samarkand, Merv,
Urgench, and Khiva gained fame throughout the Muslim world. Craftsmanship, architecture, and
construction flourished. Thus, the period from the 9th century to the mid-12th century is
recognized as the “Golden Age” of the Eastern Renaissance, significantly influencing world
science and culture.
One of its most prominent figures was Abu Nasr al-Farabi (870–950).
Abu Nasr al-Farabi: The Second Teacher
JOURNAL OF IQRO – ЖУРНАЛ ИҚРО – IQRO JURNALI – volume 15, issue 01, 2025
ISSN: 2181-4341, IMPACT FACTOR ( RESEARCH BIB ) – 7,245, SJIF – 5,431
ILMIY METODIK JURNAL
The encyclopedic scholar Al-Farabi is regarded as a founder of medieval Eastern philosophy.
Few fields of knowledge remained untouched by his insightful observations and logical
deductions. He earned the title “The Second Teacher” (after Aristotle).
Al-Farabi was the first in the Arabic-speaking world to create a coherent theory of the soul and
developed unique psychological terminology. He did not separate pedagogy from ethics; rather,
he considered it a part of political (civic) science. He defined educational concepts such as
upbringing, praise, blame, persuasion, compulsion, happiness, knowledge, habit, skill, and ability.
According to Al-Farabi, education and upbringing provide nations and cities with theoretical and
moral virtues and arts. The concept of “happiness” was central to his pedagogy. Attaining
“eternal happiness” was the main goal of education. People fall into misfortune due to immoral
behavior rooted in flawed character traits. The role of education is to eliminate negative qualities
and foster positive ones. Good character is achieved through moderate actions, while bad
character is seen as a form of spiritual illness.
He emphasized that a teacher must emdiv the values they seek in students — truthfulness,
justice, politeness — and must personally possess these virtues.
The Ideal Teacher According to Al-Farabi
Only a person who successfully combines twelve innate and six acquired virtues can be a true
teacher — not just for children but for an entire city. Such a person is seen as a universally
accepted leader. Al-Farabi insisted that a teacher must have emotional balance, iron logic, a
phenomenal memory, sharp reasoning, eloquence, a love for knowledge, restraint from
indulgences, love of truth, disdain for lies, and indifference toward wealth and worldly pleasures.
His teachings significantly influenced the psychological and pedagogical thought of Central
Asian and Kazakh peoples for centuries.
Scientific Contributions and Legacy
Al-Farabi’s most well-known scientific work is
“On the Classification of Sciences,”
where he
systematically listed the sciences of his time and defined their subject matter. He enriched his
knowledge in Baghdad, engaging with prominent scholars and quickly becoming a respected
intellectual figure. However, his rational approach to knowledge and earthly happiness drew
hostility from dogmatic theologians, forcing him to leave Baghdad eventually.
Historians of science and culture recognize the greatness of Al-Farabi. His interests ranged
across astronomy, logic, music theory, mathematics, sociology, ethics, medicine, psychology,
philosophy, and law. He traveled widely — to Bukhara, Merv, Harran, Alexandria, Cairo,
Damascus, and Baghdad — absorbing diverse cultural influences.
Al-Farabi synthesized the intellectual achievements of Uzbek, Arab, Persian, Greek, Indian, and
Turkic cultures. His famous work
“The Great Book of Music”
reflects this blend. Yet, he was
not merely a cultural scholar — he was a reformer of science who sought to systematize
knowledge and harmonize it with humanistic values. His treatise
“The Story of the Classification
of Sciences”
stands as a testament to this effort.
Moral and Intellectual Standards
JOURNAL OF IQRO – ЖУРНАЛ ИҚРО – IQRO JURNALI – volume 15, issue 01, 2025
ISSN: 2181-4341, IMPACT FACTOR ( RESEARCH BIB ) – 7,245, SJIF – 5,431
ILMIY METODIK JURNAL
Al-Farabi set high moral and intellectual standards for those seeking wisdom. He emphasized the
importance of good manners, deep religious understanding, honesty, purity, and devotion to truth.
He warned against the pursuit of knowledge for material gain and encouraged using science to
uplift humanity.
According to him, a virtuous city would be one where art and knowledge are honored, and
thinkers inspire society to strive for moral and intellectual excellence. In contrast, an ignorant
city is ruled by base desires and lies.
In works like
“The Aphorisms of the Statesman,” “Civil Policy,”
and
“On Attaining
Happiness,”
he explored ideas of human dignity, happiness, ethical perfection, and ideal
leadership. These concepts remain profoundly relevant and demand further study today.
Al-Farabi believed that happiness is the ultimate blessing. But to attain it, one must improve the
rational part of the soul. This journey requires wisdom, something only the wise can achieve.
Many confuse illusions with happiness, but according to Al-Farabi, the true path lies in
understanding and devotion to knowledge.
References
1. Ardakani, R.D.
Farabi – The Founder of Islamic Philosophy
. Trans. from Persian by A.
Absalikova. Moscow: Sadra Publishing, 2014. – 132 p. – ISBN 978-5-906016-37-9.
2. Abu Nasr Muhammad Al-Farabi.
Great Treatise on Music (excerpt)
/ Introduction,
translation and commentary by F.O. Nofal //
Philosophical Studies
, Vol. 21 – Lugansk: SNU,
2014. – pp. 258–265.
3. Frolova, E.A.
Arabic Philosophy: Past and Present
. Moscow: Languages of Slavic Cultures,
2010. – p. 173. – 461 p.
4. Al-Farabi.
The Essence of Questions
// In: Selected Works of Thinkers of the Near and
Middle East. – Moscow: Znanie, 1974. – p. 168.
