alexandria and her schools(亚历山大和她的学校)-第24章
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fatalism。 His unchangeableness became in their minds not an
unchangeable purpose to teach； forgive； and deliver menas it seemed to
Mohammed to have been but a mere brute necessity； an unchangeable
purpose to have His own way； whatsoever that way might be。 That dark
fatalism； also； has helped toward the decay of the Mohammedan nations。
It has made them careless of self…improvement； faithless of the possibility
of progress； and has kept； and will keep； the Mohammedan nations； in all
intellectual matters； whole ages behind the Christian nations of the West。
How far the story of Omar's commanding the baths of Alexandria to be
heated with the books from the great library is true； we shall never know。
Some have doubted the story altogether： but so many fresh
corroborations of it are said to have been lately discovered； in Arabic
writers； that I can hardly doubt that it had some foundation in fact。 One
cannot but believe that John Philoponus； the last of the Alexandrian
grammarians； when he asked his patron Amrou the gift of the library； took
care to save some； at least； of its treasures； and howsoever strongly Omar
may have felt or said that all books which agreed with the Koran were
useless； and all which disagreed with it only fit to be destroyed； the
general feeling of the Mohammedan leaders was very different。 As they
settled in the various countries which they conquered； education seems to
have been considered by them an important object。 We even find some
of them； in the same generation as Mohammed； obeying strictly the
Prophet's command to send all captive children to schoola fact which
speaks as well for the Mussulmans' good sense； as it speaks ill for the state
of education among the degraded descendants of the Greek conquerors of
the East。 Gradually philosophic Schools arose； first at Bagdad； and then
at Cordova； and the Arabs carried on the task of commenting on Aristotle's
Logic； and Ptolemy's Megiste Syntaxiswhich last acquired from them the
name of Almagest； by which it was so long known during the Middle
Ages。
But they did little but comment； though there was no Neoplatonic or
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mystic element in their commentaries。 It seems as if Alexandria was
preordained； by its very central position； to be the city of commentators；
not of originators。 It is worthy of remark； that Philoponus； who may be
considered as the man who first introduced the simple warriors of the
Koreish to the treasures of Greek thought； seems to have been the first
rebel against the Neoplatonist eclecticism。 He maintained； and truly； that
Porphyry； Proclus； and the rest； had entirely misunderstood Aristotle；
when they attempted to reconcile him with Plato； or incorporate his
philosophy into Platonism。 Aristotle was henceforth the text…book of
Arab savants。 It was natural enough。 The Mussulman mind was trained
in habits of absolute obedience to the authority of fixed dogmas。 All
those attempts to follow out metaphysic to its highest object； theology；
would be useless if not wrong in the eyes of a Mussulman； who had
already his simple and sharply…defined creed on all matters relating to the
unseen world。 With him metaphysic was a study altogether divorced
from man's higher life and aspirations。 So also were physics。 What need
had he of Cosmogonies？ what need to trace the relations between man and
the universe； or the universe and its Maker？ He had his definite material
Elysium and Tartarus； as the only ultimate relation between man and the
universe； his dogma of an absolute fiat； creating arbitrary and once for all；
as the only relation between the universe and its Maker： and further it
was not lawful to speculate。 The idea which I believe unites both physic
and metaphysic with man's highest inspirations and widest speculations
the Alexandria idea of the Logos； of the Deity working in time and space
by successive thoughtshe had not heard of； for it was dead； as I have said；
in Alexandria itself； and if he had heard of it； he would have spurned it as
detracting from the absoluteness of that abysmal one Being； of whom he
so nobly yet so partially bore witness。 So it was to be； doubtless it was
right that it should be so。 Man's eye is too narrow to see a whole truth；
his brain too weak to carry a whole truth。 Better for him； and better for
the world； is perhaps the method on which man has been educated in every
age； by which to each school； or party； or nation； is given some one great
truth； which they are to work out to its highest development； to exemplify
in actual life； leaving some happier age perhaps； alas！ only some future
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stateto reconcile that too favoured dogma with other truths which lie
beside it； and without which it is always incomplete； and sometimes
altogether barren。
But such schools of science； founded on such a ground as this； on the
mere instinct of curiosity； had little chance of originality or vitality。 All
the great schools of the world； the elder Greek philosophy； the
Alexandrian； the present Baconian school of physics； have had a deeper
motive for their search； a far higher object which they hope to discover。
But indeed； the Mussulmans did not so much wish to discover truth； as to
cultivate their own intellects。 For that purpose a sharp and subtle
systematist； like Aristotle； was the very man whom they required； and
from the destruction of Alexandria may date the rise of the Aristotelian
philosophy。 Translations of his works were made into Arabic； first； it is
said； from Persian and Syriac translations； the former of which had been
made during the sixth and seventh centuries； by the wreck of the
Neoplatonist party； during their visit to the philosophic Chozroos。 A
century after； they filled Alexandria。 After them Almansoor； Hairoun
Alraschid； and their successors； who patronised the Nestorian Christians；
obtained from them translations of the philosophic； medical； and
astronomical Greek works； while the last of the Omniades； Abdalrahman；
had introduced the same literary taste into Spain； where； in the thirteenth
century； Averroes and Maimonides rivalled the fame of Avicenna； who had
flourished at Bagdad a century before。
But； as I have said already； these Arabs seem to have invented nothing；
they only commented。 And yet not only commented； for they preserved
for us those works of whose real value they were so little aware。
Averroes； in quality of commentator on Aristotle； became his rival in the
minds of the mediaeval schoolmen； Avicenna； in quality of commentator
on Hippocrates and Galen； was for centuries the text…book of all European
physicians； while Albatani and Aboul Wefa； as astronomers； commented
on Ptolemy； not however without making a few important additions to his
knowledge； for Aboul Wefa discovered a third inequality of the moon's
motion； in addition to the two mentioned by Ptolemy； which he did；
according to Professor Whewell； in a truly philosophic manneran
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apparently solitary instance； and one which； in its own day； had no effect；
for the fact was forgotten； and rediscovered centuries after by Tycho Brahe。
To Albatani； however； we owe two really valuable heirlooms。 The one is
the use of the sine； or half…chord of the double arc； instead of the chord of
the arc itself； which had been employed by the Greek astronomers； the
other； of even more practical benefit； was the introduction of the present
decimal arithmetic； instead of the troublesome sexagesimal arithmetic of
the Greeks。 These ten digits； however； seem； says Professor Whewell； by
the confession of the Arabians themselves； to be of Indian origin； and thus
form no exception to the sterility of the Arabian genius in scientific
inventions。 Nevertheless we are bound； in all fairness； to set against his
condemnation of the Arabs Professor De Morgan's opinion of the Moslem；
in his article on Euclid： 〃Some writers speak slightingly of this progress；
the results of which they are too apt to compare with those of our own
time。 They ought rather to place the Saracens by the side of their own
Gothic ancestors； and making some allowance for the more advantageous
circumstances under which the first started； they should view the second
systematically dispersing the remains of Greek civilisation； while the first
were concentrating the geometry of Alexandria； the arithmetic and algebra
of India； and the astronomy of both； to form a nucleus for the present state
of science。〃
To this article of Professor De Morgan's on Euclid； ｛2｝ and to
Professor Whewell's excellent 〃History of the Inductive Sciences；〃 from
which I； being neither Arabic scholar nor astronomer； have drawn most of
my facts about physical science； I must refer those who wish to know
more of the early rise of physics； and of their preservation by the Arabs；
till a great and unexpected event brought them back again to the quarter of
the globe where they had their birth； and where alone they could be
regenerated into a new and practical life。
That great event was the Crusades。 We have heard little of
Alexandria lately。 Its intellectual glory had departed westward and
eastward； to Cordova and to Bagdad； its commercial greatness
