An expert on the thought of medieval Islamic philosopher Suhrawardi argues that philosophers have romanticized this work as a revival of "oriental" wisdom. Twelfth-century Islamic philosopher Suhrawardī attempted to revive Platonism in an era of Avicennan Aristotelianism. Modern scholars have portrayed Suhrawardī as wishing to revive an "oriental" wisdom and associate him with ancient Persia. In this book, John Walbridge uses Suhrawardī as a vehicle to explore the tendency of Platonic philosophers to romanticize oriental wisdom. The work presents Suhrawardī and defines the problem of Platonic orientalism, both in general and in relation to Suhrawardī. Egypt and the Hermetic tradition, ancient Persia and the notion of metaphysical light, and India, Buddhism, and the transmigration of souls are all covered in terms of their influence or lack of influence in Suhrawardī's thought. The book also explores the role of Platonic and Suhrawardian orientalism in various cultures over the years.

Preface Introduction: Suhrawardi and the Orient 1. The Lure of Oriental Wisdom The Greek Pseudepigrapha and Platonic Orientalism The Basis of Platonic Orientalism Suhrawardi as Orientalizing Neoplatonist 2. Hermes of Egypt: God and Philosopher Hermes as Universal Sage: Greece, Egypt, Chaldaea The Problem of Philosophy and the Greek Gods The Sabians of Harran The Hermetic in Suhrawardi's Thought 3. Light, Darkness, and the Kings of Ancient Iran The Philosophical History of Light Ghazali, the Ghost at Suhrawardi's Feast Light, Darkness, and the Persians 4. Buddha's Gate of Gates: The Problem of Reincarnation Buddhism and the Muslims The Indian Sages and the Ancients The Problem of Reincarnation Recapitulation 5. The Past as Orient: The Ideological Heritage of Suhrawardi Hermes and the Miraculous Preservation of the Avesta The Commentators and the Persian Side of Suhrawardi India: The Ancient Sages from Akbar to the Raj Zoroaster and the Magi: Bruno, Voltaire, and Anquetil Suhrawardi and Iranian Nationalism: The Persian Sages Return to Iran Notes Bibliography Index