Henry Corbin Biography

Henry Corbin was a philosopher, theologian, and professor of Islamic studies whose work bridged Western philosophical traditions with the mysticism of the Islamic world. His early sensitivity to music foreshadowed the profound resonance and poetics that permeate his writings. A pivotal encounter with the 12th-century Persian mystic Suhrawardi shaped his life's trajectory, illuminating a path where Platonism intertwined with ancient Persian angelology. Corbin fundamentally redirected the study of Islamic philosophy, demonstrating its persistent vitality in the Eastern world, particularly Iran, thereby challenging the notion of its cessation after Ibn Rushd.