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In 2015, Associate Professor of Philosophy Josh Hayes co-edited “Aristotle and the Arabic Tradition,” a collection of essays spotlighting the intellectual giant’s influence upon Arabic philosophy. Little did he know that nearly 10 years later, partially aided by the COVID pandemic, that publication would lead to a prestigious invite from Saudi Arabia.

In the summer of 2024, the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies reached out to Hayes after Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud – a granddaughter of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, after whom the center is named – read the volume during COVID and wanted to discuss it.

Originally slated to speak, Hayes requested to organize a workshop. He then recruited more than a dozen scholars from around the world to discuss the intersection between ancient Greek philosophy and Arabic philosophy.

“They are very, very passionate about philosophy in the sense that Arabs believe they saved Western civilization,” Hayes said. “During the Middle Ages, many of these texts, Greek texts particularly, basically disappeared and the libraries were burned. Many of these texts were located in libraries throughout the Middle East, and the Arabs in a certain sense were able to recuperate and revive and resuscitate ancient Greek tradition. The texts that Thomas Aquinas had available to him wouldn't be possible without the translators translating. They translated from Greek into Arabic and then ultimately into Latin. So there's a whole historical continuity between Greek civilization and Arabic civilization in that sense.”

He spoke fondly of the hospitality shown to him by the princess and other members of the center during his first trip to Saudi Arabia, the country featuring the largest number of international students enrolled at Alvernia. That warm reception included experiencing the kingdom’s cultural tradition of frankincense, which featured a chalice filled with the oil being brought through every room during their morning coffee.

Hayes called Saudi Arabia a paradox. It has opened to the world, interested in entertaining Western cultural mores and ideas, but it remains a strict monarchy inspired by Islam. That was apparent during times of socialization: Alcohol is banned within the country, so Saudis drink coffee in its place.

“And these coffee shops are open until about 4 in the morning,” he said. “And people are out. But then at 4:30 in the morning they have the call to prayer. So it's this real paradox between opening up on the one hand, but obviously Islam is at the center of the culture.”

Hayes’ interest in philosophy began as a high school student in California the late ’80s, after a transformative trip to El Salvador opened his eyes to the belief that ideas have the potential to transform the world.

“Every new invention has its roots in the past,” he said. “Any new ideas or concepts that we have today always have some kind of historical origin. And that's what brought me to philosophy. I'm really interested in tracing ideas back to their origins. That's why so much of my work is inspired by ancient Greek philosophy, which is at the very beginning of the Western tradition.”

And he loves to delve into that ancient history with his students, who bring their own life experiences to the classroom, facilitating eye-opening experiences for all involved.

“I want that experience to be transformative for them,” he said. “And it's surprising how many students have a sincere interest in asking philosophical questions. They may come from a religious background or they might have some questions in terms of their own life experiences. That's just an opportunity to engage them philosophically.”