泭 泭 泭 泭 泭泭
This event will begin promptly at 17.00 BST
The term Sympathy is derived from the Greek 弮廔敖裕舒團, the state of feeling together (derived from the composite of fellow/together [彖]-feeling/passion [峎庛怷]). In modern times it is used as a form of affective subjectivity exemplified by the I feel with you formula.
This talk aims to shed some light on how the notion of sympathy has been used across time and by different intellectual/religious traditions. In particular, Dr De Cillis will look at the Stoic and Neoplatonic notion of泭sympatheia泭highlighting how, in the late classical and early Hellenistic period, it was employed to make sense of the natural world, across a plethora of disciplines. Within Islam, the notion was adapted,泭inter alia, in the intellectual systems of Ab贖 Ma尪shar (d. 886) and al-Kind蘋 (d. 873), and within Ismailism sympathy was employed by Fatimid scholars such as 廎兀m蘋d泭al-D蘋n泭al-Kirmn蘋 (d. c. 1021) who integrated it within the concept of The Balance of Religion (m蘋zn al-diyna).
Identified as the main force operating throughout the Cosmos and applied, as a doctrine, in Renaissance alchemy, magic and medicine, sympathy features in many Italian Renaissance thinkers such as Pico della Mirandola (d. 1494) and Gian Battista della Porta (d. 1615).
Hosted by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (London) and convened by Dr Orkhan Mir-Kasimov, the泭Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series泭is designed to invite scholars of various international academic institutions, specialising in intellectual, social and political aspects of medieval and early modern Islamic societies, to present and discuss their research. Watch previous lectures on our泭.
Speakers
Dr Maria De Cillis
Dr Maria De Cillis泭is an Associate Professor and Head of the泭Shi尪i Studies Unit泭(Interim) in the Department of Academic Research and Publications at the 敁珗曄部, where she is also the Managing Editor of the泭Shi尪i Heritage Series. Dr De Cillis obtained her bachelors degree (with honours) from the Faculty of Languages and Literatures in the Department of Arabic and English Studies at the Universita’ degli Studi di Napoli LOrientale, Naples, Italy. She completed her Masters in Islamic Studies (with distinction) and was awarded her PhD in Islamic Studies from the Near and Middle East Section, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, SOAS University of London.
Dr Toby Mayer
Dr Toby Mayer is a Research Associate in the泭Quranic Studies Unit泭at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. After completing his undergraduate degree in Indian Studies at the University of Cambridge, he went on to study Medieval Arabic thought at the University of Oxford, where he wrote his doctoral thesis on the泭Book of Allusions泭(Isharat) by the major Persian philosopher Ibn Sina.
Cover image: 廎兀m蘋d泭al-D蘋n泭al-Kirmn蘋s泭Rahat al-尪aql泭f. 130a. Provided by Russell Harris and the Ismaili Special Collections Unit. Ms 1454
Please note泭filming and photography may take place during the event, and be used across our website, newsletters and social media accounts. These could include broad shots of the audience and lecture theatre, speakers during the talk, and of audience members participating in Q&A.泭
Views expressed in this lecture are those of the presenting scholars, not necessarily of 敁珗曄部, the Ismaili community or leadership. Promotion of this lecture is not an explicit endorsement of the ideas presented.
