Q0581
“What revelation teaches by symbols, the philosopher may reach by demonstration; the…” — Ibn Tufayl (Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (Goodman))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān (Goodman). Theme: faith.
English
What revelation teaches by symbols, the philosopher may reach by demonstration; the two agree in substance for those who understand.
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
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Anselm of Canterbury and Averroes), faith is framed through Islamic Philosophy and Scholasticism. Some passages define faith; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through faith, language, knowledge.
Concepts in this quote
- Faith
- Faith appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat faith as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Language
- Language appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat language as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Ibn Tufayl. (n.d.). What revelation teaches by symbols, the philosopher may reach by demonstration; the two agree in substance for those who understand. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0581
MLA: Ibn Tufayl. “What revelation teaches by symbols, the philosopher may….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0581.
Chicago: Ibn Tufayl. “What revelation teaches by symbols, the philosopher may….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0581.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “What revelation teaches by symbols, the philosopher may…”?
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 faith?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Anselm of Canterbury and Averroes), faith is framed through Islamic Philosophy and Scholasticism. Some passages define faith; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through faith, language, knowledge.