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The Animal Fable of the Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʼ in Context: The Ontological and Moral Status of Animals in Early Islamic Thought

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Animals and their Relation to Gods, Humans and Things in the Ancient World

Abstract

Undoubtedly the most interesting medieval Arabic text from the perspective of animal ethics is a fable by the 10th-century group of philosophers known by the name of the Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʼ (The Brethren of Purity). In the fable, animals sue the mankind to court to challenge the latter’s claim for the right to subject animals to their servitude. While the Ikhwān’s animal fable is well-known, it has not often been studied from the perspective of animal ethics.

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Correspondence to Janne Mattila .

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Mattila, J. (2019). The Animal Fable of the Ikhwān al-Ṣafāʼ in Context: The Ontological and Moral Status of Animals in Early Islamic Thought. In: Mattila, R., Ito, S., Fink, S. (eds) Animals and their Relation to Gods, Humans and Things in the Ancient World. Universal- und kulturhistorische Studien. Studies in Universal and Cultural History. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-24388-3_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-24388-3_15

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