Evolution of Ibn al-Haytham's View on Ptolemy

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00260
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01080:Sociology of science, history of science and technology-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo (2020-2022); Hiroshima University (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Mimura Taro 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (50782132)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: イブン・ハイサム / プトレマイオス / ハイアの学 / イスラーム天文学史

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research, I focused on editing the Arabic text of Ibn al-Haytham's commentary on the Almagest. Then, by comparing his view on Ptolemy found in his commentary on the Almagest with that in other works written by him, I made clear that he read through the Almagest, making use of various Arabic works related to this topic, so that he scrutinized the contents of the Almagest and he tried to update the logical structure of the Almagest based on his knowledge of astronomical works composed in the Islamicate world.

Free Research Field

イスラーム科学史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、重要性は以前から認識されていながら、写本資料のまま残されており、いまだ誰も着手してこなかったイブン・ハイサムによる『アルマゲスト』注釈を手掛け、その全貌を明らかにできたことは、世界的に見ても重要な成果だと思われる。