Ibn Tufail

Born around 1105 in Arab Andalusia, Ibn Ṭufayl moved between medicine, philosophy, theology, and astronomy, eventually rising to vizier. His novel Hayy ibn Yaqdhan — the story of a solitary figure discovering knowledge through observation and reason — became a major work of Arabic literature and smuggled in his medical convictions: he advocated for dissection and autopsy at a time when both were contested. He died in 1185, leaving behind a narrative that posed questions about innate knowledge, empirical inquiry, and whether a mind could find God without being told where to look.