Ahmed ibn Sahl al-Balkhi

Ahmed ibn Sahl al-Balkhi

Education

Bibliography

Balkhi School of Terrestrial Mapping

• Abu Zayd al-Balkhi. (n.d.). Retrieved August 17, 2015, from https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAbu_Zayd_al-Balkhi
• Balkhi, Abu Zayd (235H/ 849CE-322H/934CE) أبو زيد البلخي. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2015, from http://islamicencyclopedia.org/public/index/topicDetail/id/196
• Presentism in the Service of Diversity? (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2015, from http://ahp.apps01.yorku.ca/?p=299
• Islamic Golden Age. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age#Art
• Al-Kindi. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Kindi

• Now called the Balkhi School of Geography

• Al-Balkhi studied under Al-Kindi
• Muslim arab philosopher, polymath, mathematician, physician and musician, known as "Philosopher of the Arabs".
• Al-Kindi was the first of the peripatetic philosophers, and called the "father of Islamic or Arabic philosophy."
• Al-Kindi introduced Greek and Hellenistic philosophy to Islamic philosophy.

Basics of Life

• 850 A.D.
• Shamistiyan, Balkh, Khorasan.
• Arabic
• The Islamic Golden Age
• Main areas of interest: Mathematics, Psychology, and Geography.
• Death in 934 A.D.

Key Impact

• Introduced concepts of mental health and hygiene to the Islamic community through his book: Sustenance for Body and Soul
• Began to classify mental disorders into fear and anxiety, sadness, anger, and depression.
• Argued that one cannot be be healthy without good health of the body AND the mind.
• Was the first to differentiate the two kinds of depression: one caused by loss and failure treatable by therapy, and actual chemically treatable depression, caused by genetics and chemical imbalance.
• He argued that "since man’s construction is from both his soul and his body, human existence cannot be healthy without the ishtibak [interweaving or entangling] of soul and body." He further argued that "if the body gets sick, the nafs [psyche] loses much of its cognitive and comprehensive ability and fails to enjoy the desirous aspects of life" and that "if the nafs gets sick, the body may also find no joy in life and may eventually develop a physical illness."

What was going on?

• Significant growth and understanding of science in Islamic Psychology. (Islamic Golden Age)
• Islamic culture was starting to become a blend of Arab, Persian, Egyptian, and European traditions.
• The first mentally ill homes were opened, by the deepened study of specific psychological disorders and their specific needs and treatments.

The Balkhi Legacy

• Introduced modern psychological ideas to Islamic society.
• Founded the Balkhi school of terrrestrial mapping.