Twelfth-century Islamic philosopher Suhrawardi attempted to revive Platonism in an era of Avicennan Aristotelianism. Modern scholars have portrayed Suhrawardi as wishing to revive an "oriental" wisdom and associate him with ancient Persia. In this book, John Walbridge uses Suhrawardi as a vehicle to explore the tendency of Platonic philosophers to romanticize oriental wisdom.

The work presents Suhrawardi and defines the problem of Platonic orientalism, both in general and in relation to Suhrawardi. Egypt and the Hermetic tradition, ancient Persia and the notion of metaphysical light, and India, Buddhism, and the transmigration of souls are all covered in terms of their influence or lack of influence in Suhrawardi's thought. The book also explores the role of Platonic and Suhrawardian orientalism in various cultures over the years.

John Walbridge is Associate Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Indiana University, and the author of The Leaven of the Ancients: Suhrawardi and the Heritage of the Greeks, also published by SUNY Press.