Wood and Bed – From Natural Physics to Literary Criticism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.10663Keywords:
Wood and Bed, Matter and Form, Interdisciplinary Study, Wording and Meaning, Natural Philosophy.Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to uncover the philosophical sources that enabled Al-Jahiz and Qudama bin Jaafar to develop influential critical perspectives rooted in philosophical theories. It focuses specifically on the issue of form and meaning, tracing its origins to Greek texts translated in the 3rd century AH (9th century CE). The study highlights the presence of philosophical thought and its role in shaping Arabic literary criticism, particularly in the works of Al-Jahiz and Qudama, who engaged with Aristotelian texts. It demonstrates that Qudama’s Naqd al-Shiʿr (Criticism of Poetry), a foundational text in Arabic critical theory, is fundamentally based on Aristotle’s theory of the duality of matter and form as found in Physics.
Methods: The research adopts an interdisciplinary approach by linking natural physics and literary criticism, revealing the influence of one on the other. It investigates how Aristotelian theories, concepts, and examples were transferred from the field of natural philosophy to literary criticism, as evident in the writings of Al-Jahiz and Qudama.
Results: The study reveals the philosophical foundations that enabled the formation of a literary critical theory by Al-Jahiz and Qudama, particularly highlighting the adoption of Aristotle’s theory of matter and form.
Conclusions: This research demonstrates how a profound overlap between natural philosophy and literary criticism led to significant transformations in theoretical thought, with Aristotelian physics serving as a foundation for Arabic literary theory.
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