A.I. Sabra

Abdelhamid Ibrahim Sabra (1924-2013) was a professor of the history of science specializing in the history of optics and science in medieval Islam. He died December 18, 2013. Sabra provided English translation and commentary for Books I-III
*Sabra also produced an Arabic edition of books IV-V: The Optics of Ibn al-Haytham. IV-V: On Reflection and Images Seen by Reflection. Two volumes: I: Text, Introductions, Concordance Tables; II: Apparatus, Diagrams, Appendices, Analytical Index, Plates. 760pp. Kuwait: The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, 2002. of Ibn al-Haytham's seven book ''Kitab al-Manazir'' (''Book of Optics''), written in Arabic in the 11th century.

Sabra received his undergraduate degree at the University of Alexandria. He then studied philosophy of science with Karl Popper at the University of London, where he received a PhD in 1955 for a thesis on optics in the 17th century. He taught at the University of Alexandria 1955–62, at the Warburg Institute 1962–72, and at Harvard University from 1972 until he retired in 1996.

In his article on "The Appropriation and Subsequent Naturalization of Greek Science in Medieval Islam", he argued, against the theories of Pierre Duhem, that Islamic cultures did not passively receive and preserve ancient Greek science, but actively "appropriated" and modified it.''History of Science'' 25, pp. 223–43

In 2005 he was awarded the Sarton Medal for lifetime achievement in the history of science by the History of Science Society.

Select publications

*1954. "A Note on a Suggested Modification of Newton's Corpuscular Theory of Light to Reconcile it with Foucault's Experiment of 1850." ''British Journal for the Philosophy of Science'' 5, pp. 149–51.
*1967 ''Theories of Light from Descartes to Newton'', (Oldbourne), (reprint Cambridge University Press, 1981), 363 pages.
*1984. "The Andalusian Revolt Against Ptolemaic Astronomy: Averroes and al-Bitrûjî." pp. 233–53 in Everett Mendelsohn, ed. ''Transformation and Tradition in the Sciences: Essays in honor of I. Bernard Cohen.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
*1987. "The Appropriation and Subsequent Naturalization of Greek Science in Medieval Islam." ''History of Science'' 25, pp. 223–43.
*1996. "Situating Arabic Science: Locality ''versus'' Essence," ''Isis'', 87, pp. 654–670 (reprinted in Michael H. Shank, ed., ''The Scientific Enterprise in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.'' Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, pp. 215–31).

References

External links

A. I. Sabra's biography at HarvardObituary

2013 deaths
Historians of science
Egyptian orientalists
Harvard University faculty
1924 births
Alumni of the University of London
Arabic–English translators

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