So I wanted to learn how to pronounce the name al-Khwārizmī. So
I searched YouTube, and stumbled across Science and Islam hosted
by Physicist Jim Al-Khalili, a BBC documentary series consisting
of three parts: The Language of Science, The Empire of Reason,
and The Power of Doubt. I did not expect to enjoy the
documentary as much as I did; I would like to buy the series on
DVD, but I have not found a way to do this. It really opened my
eyes: in spite of my western education, I knew something of the
golden age of Islamic scholarship, but I failed properly
appreciate its importance to the modern world. I say “in spite
of my western education” because many students would recognize
the names of Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato, but not al-
Khwārizmī, al-Haytham, or al-Biruni. And yet, the contributions
of these Islamic scholars are in many ways more lasting and more
profound than the Greeks. After all, al-Khwārizmī made large,
foundational contributions to Algebra, which is more widely
taught than Greek philosophy. T