The Journey of the Soul

The story of Hai bin Yaqzan, widely regarded as the ‘prototype’ of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, is best described, perhaps, as a philosophical romance. It tells the story of a young man, cast upon a desert island as an infant, suckled and reared by a doe, who succeeds by his own efforts in fitting himself for life in his natural environment. The author, Ibn Tufail, was one of the outstanding philosophers and scientists of his day, and hence the narrative of this tale weaves together strands from many disciplines. Despite its origins in 12th century Moorish Spain, The Journey of the Soul touches on astonishingly current issues, such as ‘the scientific method’, psychological development, and the process of evolution.