The Living, Son of the Awakened, By Ibn Tufayl, Philosophical novel, Bilingual (French-Arabic), Translated by Léon Gauthier

Written in the 12th century, Hayy Ibn Yaqzan , The Living, Son of the Awakened, is considered the very first philosophical novel in the history of literature and one of the most important in the Arab-Muslim world. Distributed in Latin in the 17th century, it became a true bestseller and influenced the philosophers and writers of Enlightenment Europe. Ibn Yaqzan was born on a desert island. This child without a father or mother is raised by a gazelle. He awakens alone to the knowledge of the world and the divine. The question that then arises is whether it is possible to access the idea of God without receiving revelation and without being led, through parental education, to adhere to a particular religion.

About the Author :

Ibn Toufayl, also known as Abubacer, was a 12th-century Andalusian philosopher and writer. Born around 1105 in Guadix, in the Al-Andalus region, he died in 1185 in Marrakech, Morocco.

Ibn Tufayl held prominent positions at the Almohad court, including as physician and vizier. His most famous work, the philosophical novel "Hayy ibn Yaqzan" ("Living, Son of the Awakened"), written in Arabic, tells the story of a wild child who discovers philosophical truth through observation and contemplation.

Ibn Toufayl is also recognized for his contributions to philosophy and medicine, marking an important era in the intellectual history of Andalusia and the Islamic world. His influence extended through translations of his works into Latin, thus contributing to the transmission of Arabic philosophical ideas to medieval Europe.