The Improvement of Human Reason
Exhibited in the Life of Hai Ebn Yokdhan
By
Ibn Tufail
(Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Tufail al-Qasi)
Newly Translated from the Original Arabick
by Simon Ockley
(1708)
The Improvement of
HUMAN REASON,
Exhibited in the LIFE of
Hai Ebn Yokdhan:
Written in Arabick above 500 Yearsago, by Abu Jaafar Ebn Tophail.
In which is demonstrated,
By what Methods one may, by the meer
Light of Nature, attain the Knowledg
of things Natural and Supernatural;
more particularly the Knowledg of God,
and the Affairs of another Life.
Illustrated with proper FIGURES,
Newly Translated from the Original Arabick by
SIMON OCKLEY,
A.M. Vicar of Swanesey in Cambridgshire.
With an APPENDIX,
In Which the Possibility of Man's attaining
the True Knowledg of GOD, and
Things necessary to Salvation, without
Instruction, is briefly consider'd.
To the Reverend
Mr. Edward Pococke,
Rector of
MINAL, in Wiltshire.
Reverend SIR,
Hai Ebn Yokdhan returns to you again, in a Dress different from thatwhich you sent him out in. Wherever he comes, he acknowledges you forhis first and best Master; and confesses, that his being put in aCapacity to travel thro' Europe, is owing to your Hand. I could not inEquity send him to any other Person, you being the sole Proprietor. Andas your Learning enables you to do him Justice, so your Candor willincline you to pardon what is by me done amiss. Both whichQualifications you enjoy, as a Paternal Inheritance, descending from theReverend and Learned Dr. Pococke, the Glory and Ornament of our Ageand Nation. Whose Memory I much reverence, and how much I acknowledge myself indebted to him for his Learned Works, I thought I could no wayexpress better, than by taking some Opportunity to pay my Respects toyou, Sir, the worthy Son of so great a Father. And no fitter Bearerthan Hai Ebn Yokdhan, with whose Character and Language you are sowell acquainted, and to whom you have long ago shown so great a Respect,that I have no reason to fear but he will be welcome.
I am,
SIR,
Your most humble Servant,
Simon Ockley,
THE PREFACE.
When Mr. Pococke first publish'd this Arabick Author with hisaccurate Latin Version, Anno 1671. Dr. Pococke his Father, thatlate eminent Professor of the Oriental Languages in the University ofOxford, prefix'd a Preface to it; in which he tells us, that he hasgood Reason to think, that this Author was contemporary with Averroes,who died very ancient in the Year of the Hegira 595, which isco-incident with the 1198th Year of our Lord; according to which Account,the Author liv'd so