Tunisian’s and Al-Farabi: The Foundational Role of Mohamed Mahjoub

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the foundational and pivotal role of the Tunisian thinker Mohamed Mahjoub in establishing a new hermeneutical reading of Al-Farabi's philosophy. Through a critical reading of his works, particularly his pioneering book "The City and the Imagination" (Al-Madinah wa al-Khayal), the article explores how Mahjoub successfully reactivated the "Second Master" (Al-Mu'allim al-Thani) within the Tunisian philosophical landscape. The analysis focuses on the motivations for this choice, the method of interpretation adopted (based on the concept of the «ابتداء الثاني» – the Second Commencement), and the impact of his project on the emergence of a "New Tunisian Farabism." The study highlights Mahjoub's strategy of making Al-Farabi the sole and possible starting point for a renewed philosophy in the contemporary Arab cultural context.