Vol. 7 (2025)

Articles

The mythico-philosophical doxography of Agathodaimon in the Arab-Islamic context: Suhrawardī and Ṣadrā

Published 19-01-2025

  • Amílcar Aldama Cruz

Amílcar Aldama Cruz
Universidad Internacional Al-Muṣṭafā (Irán) - Universidad de la Habana (Cuba)

Abstract

The mythico-philosophical doxography of the Islamic context featured the figures of Hermes (Hirmis) and Agathodaimon (Āġāṯāḏīmūn) as the masters of arcane wisdom, encompassing both philosophical and esoteric knowledge, which was transmitted to humanity. Agathodaimon or Agathós Daimōn (Ἀγαθὸς Δαίμων) originated within the ancient Mediterranean religion, being a chthonic deity represented as a serpent and syncretized with Osiris-Ammon, Set, Serapis, and Zeus Kthesios. He was also venerated in Sabean-Harranian cults, and along with Hermes, he holds an important role within the Corpus Hermeticum. In the Islamic philosophical context, Agathós Daimōn was called “Agathosdaimon the Egyptian” (Āġāṯāḏīmūn al-Miṣrī), having an important place as an intermediary between ancient occult knowledge and various Islamic thinkers and philosophical currents. This work will provide a description of the mythico-philosophical doxography of the išrāqī (Illuminationist) and ḥikmat al-mutaʿāliyya (Transcendent Philosophy) schools regarding the figure of Agathodaimon and his value within the philosophical thought developed by them, with emphasis on the works of the Persian philosophers Šihāb ad-Dīn al-Suhrawardī (1154–1191) and Mullā Ṣadrā (1571-1635).

Keywords

Philosophical Doxography, Agathodaimon, Suhrawardī, comparative religions, Agathós Daimōn

PDF (Spanish)

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