The video explores the life and career of the Medieval Persian Philosopher Abu Bakr Al-Razi. Born in the ancient city of Rey, Al-Razi (or "Rhazes") would pioneer the introduction of more rigorous, scientific approaches to medicine. Through his more evidence based approach to the medical field, Al-Razi would become significant for discovering the conditions of allergic asthma, and contributing some of the earliest known insights into the study of immunology.

The breakthrough medical compilation, Al-Kitab Al-Hawi, would become his undisputed magnum opus - being taught in universities from East to West for centuries to come. In the philosophical sciences, Al-Razi would challenge the norms of Medieval Islamic thought by placing a greater emphasis on the works of Plato, rather than the then widely popular Aristotle. This attracted criticism and controversy, as by then, thanks to the works of earlier Islamic Philosophers such as Al-Kindi, Aristotelian thought was inextricably fused with the philosophical tools Islamic scholars would use to interpret scripture. As such, Al-Razi struggled with accusations of heresy.

Developing on from Plato's theory of the Tripartite Soul, Al-Razi, like other Islamic philosophers before him, stressed the role of the intellect in controlling ones desires and temptations. Al-Razi tried to justify the wisdom of religious rulings by imploring individuals to look for the rationality behind the rules. In particular, Al-Razi implied that many of the soul's most destructive instincts could be overcome by questioning the deeper consequences of those actions.