The Improvement of Human Reason

About the book

"The Improvement of Human Reason" by Ibn Tufail is an Arabic philosophical novel written in the early 12th century. This allegorical tale follows Hayy ibn Yaqẓān, a boy raised by an antelope on an isolated island, who develops knowledge of science, philosophy, and religion through observation and reason alone. The work explores whether humans can reach enlightenment without formal education, and whether knowledge gained through experience contradicts religious revelation. It became one of the most translated Arabic texts and profoundly influenced Enlightenment thinkers including John Locke and inspired Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe."