# Arab Medieval Philosophers' Doctrines on War

Unlike the concept of jihad in the Islamic world, the doctrines on war that were held by medieval philosophers writing in Arabic have received minimal attention. Maroun Aouad, a distinguished visiting scholar in the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, discussed the topic in a lecture titled "Arab Medieval Philosophers' Doctrines on War." According to Aouad, studies about jihad, the duty required by Islamic law to wage war under certain conditions, are numerous. They are, however, of a limited interest, since they link the concept of jihad to its restricted juridical and historical characteristics within a specific religion and civilization. Much less attention, according to Aouad, has been paid to the doctrines on expansive war that were held by Arab medieval philosophers, who, like Averroes (1126-1198), were at times influenced by Plato. Those doctrines were grounded in pure reasoning and were not based on a revealed law. They raised problems and gave answers that are of a much more universal value and go far beyond the Islamic civilization. Aouad's talk will dealt with these rational explanations and with their relationship to jihad.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2009
- By: Library Of Congress
- Genres: War, Religion
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021688052/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/2021688052?play=1)