An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia - Professor Hossein Nasr

Reflecting on the challenges of compiling the Anthology of Persian Philosophy, Professor Nasr elaborates on his arduous editorial efforts of incorporating Persian philosophers from across different eras and schools of thought.

All major civilisations of the world have cultivated a philosophical tradition, but only a few have had a continuous tradition with surviving texts. Persia is home to one such civilisation with continuity of philosophical thought for more than two-and-a-half millennia. This 29-minute interview with Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr presents an overview of his intellectual journey into Persian philosophy, covering traditions ranging from ancient Zoroastrian scriptures all the way up to modern times.

Reflecting on the challenges of compiling the Anthology of Persian Philosophy, Professor Nasr elaborates on the arduous editorial efforts of incorporating philosophers from across different eras and schools of thought. He also makes comparisons between Persian and Western traditions of philosophy and discusses the development of various distinct schools of philosophy within Persia. As such, the Anthology of Philosophy in Persia is the first work to present a millennial tradition of philosophy in Persia in the form of translated selections and introductory sections for each period and figure.

Questions:

1. How did the idea of publishing An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia come about? 00:17 – 04:20

2. How did you define the scheme of contents for the Anthology? 04:21 – 09:11

3. How do traditions of philosophy in Persia compare with other traditions of philosophy, including Western thought? 09:12 – 14:35

4. Could you please shed some light on the distinct schools of thought within Persian traditions of Philosophy? 14:36 – 19:40

5. Could you please elaborate on the volume on Ismaili Philosophy for our audiences? 19:41 – 23:30

6. What is the significance of this set of anthologies in contemporary times? 23:32 – 29:10

Special thanks to Patricia Salazar and her AV team for organising the recording in Washington DC.