APersonIndependent states
Al-Farabi
Great philosopher, scientist and music theorist (c. 870–950), called the "Second Teacher" after Aristotle.
Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Farabi was a scholar of Turkic origin, traditionally said to have been born in Farab (Otrar) on the Syr Darya. He lived in Baghdad, Aleppo and Damascus and died in Damascus in 950.
He commented on Aristotle and spread his philosophy in the Islamic world, hence the title "Second Teacher". In "The Views of the Inhabitants of the Virtuous City" he described the ideal society, and he wrote on logic, politics, mathematics and the classification of the sciences.
His Great Book of Music is a cornerstone of Eastern music theory. Kazakhstan's largest university, the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, bears his name.
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Updated: October 2, 2026