Q0580
“By unaided reason Hayy rose to knowledge of the Necessary Existent, before…” — Ibn Tufayl (Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (Goodman))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (Goodman). Theme: reason.
English
By unaided reason Hayy rose to knowledge of the Necessary Existent, before any human teacher reached him.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (Goodman) and files it under Islamic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Ibn Tufayl
Ibn Ṭufayl (c. 1105–1185) was an Andalusian physician and vizier best known for the philosophical romance Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān.
How to read this passage
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, nature, god.
Concepts in this quote
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
- Nature
- Philosophy quotes about nature ask what the cosmos is, how humans belong in it, and whether “natural” can guide ethics or politics.
- God
- God appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat god as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Ibn Tufayl. (n.d.). By unaided reason Hayy rose to knowledge of the Necessary Existent, before any human teacher reached him. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0580
MLA: Ibn Tufayl. “By unaided reason Hayy rose to knowledge of….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0580.
Chicago: Ibn Tufayl. “By unaided reason Hayy rose to knowledge of….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0580.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “By unaided reason Hayy rose to knowledge of…”?
The passage is attributed to Ibn Tufayl, Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (Goodman). The archive attributes this English wording to Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (Goodman) and files it under Islamic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Ibn Tufayl mean by reason?
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, nature, god.