The Hi, I'm Peter Adamson, and you're listening to the History of Philosophy podcast brought to you with the support of Kings College London and the LMU in Munich online at

www history of philosophy net today's episode a A Man for All Seasons, Nasir-Adin-A-Tuzi.

Just as Blanch Dubois, in a streetcar named Desire, has always depended on the kindness of strangers,

philosophers have almost always depended on the kindness of the rich and powerful.

Already in the ancient world, Plato and Aristotle consorted with political leaders,

Plato with the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse, and of course Aristotle with Alexander the Great.

Even Platinus, fraternized with senators and called on their support for his plan to

found a new city.

Down the line, patronage will play a decisive role in Renaissance philosophy and Descartes will die shortly after moving to

Sweden to tutor the Queen.

Isn't this a bit unsettling, not to say Taudry, not to say outrageously hypocritical?

Surely the true philosopher ought to disdain the compromises

flattery and diplomacy involved in a life at court.

Philosophy should be a dispassionate inquiry into the truth, not an attempt to flatter the powerful.

It's an issue that still confronts us today, with philosophers and other academics wary of any government or university policy that

might infringe on their intellectual freedom.

If the spectacle of the court philosopher does indeed unsetle you, then the Islamic world offers plenty of reason for disquiet. Many of the major figures we've looked at benefited from patronage relationships, from Okindi, tutoring the Kalaf's son to averuiz, supposedly writing

his commentaries at the behest of the Anmojad a mere.

Even worse, there's good reason to think that political pressures affected the ideas put forward by these philosophers.

Consider, for instance, the striking resonances between Alkindis' ideas and those of the Mortazalite theologians.

Acceptance of the Martazalite position on the createdness of the Quran was being made compulsory

by the very same caliph that engaged Al-kindy's services as a tutor.

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