Azizul Islam Topics in Islamic History Prof.

Varlik 11/11/12

Ibn Sina Abu Ali al-Hussain Ibn Sina or more commonly known as Avicenna is an Iranian Muslim Philosopher. He was born in 980 in the city of Afshaneh near Bukhara, modern day Uzbekistan. Ibn Sina is the most distinguished philosopher in Islamic history and it can be debated on whether he is the most prominent philosopher in the pre-modern era. He has written works on logic, ontology, epistemology, psychology and many other subjects. His journey of knowledge started at a very young age. When he was 10 years old he was had received education in many levels of math and was well experienced in the study of sciences, along with memorizing the complete Holy Quran. When he turned 13 years old, Ibn Sina started his journey into the world of medicine which attracted the attention of the Sultan of Bukhara, Nuh inb Masur, who allowed Ibn Sina to study in his library after Ibn Sina had successfully cured the Sultan when he was ill. At age 21 Ibn Sina successfully wrote his first book, and was well known in the world of politics and science. After his fathers death he was invited to Jurjan where he became acquainted with another very famous philosopher, Raihan al-Biruni. He later traveled to Hamadan where he stayed for the rest of his life until his death at age 57 in 1037 A.D. During his stay in Hamadan he accomplished many things. He treated the King of Hadamn Shams al-Dualah for severe colic, and wrote his very famous book Kitab al-shifa (Book of Healing) which had him arrested. He escaped his arrest and continued his writings including al-Shifa, and Kitab al najat(Book of Salvation). He translated multiple works of authors

including the work of Aristotle. He wrote three different encyclopedias on philosophy which covers logic, mathematics, metaphysics and theology. Other books include al-Najat (The Salvation) and al-Insaf (The Judgement). His most famous book however, is called al-Qanun fil Tibb (Canon).It was a medical textbook that continued to be taught in Europe and the Islamic world until the early modern period. This textbook surveyed the entire medical knowledge available from ancient and Muslim sources (Philosophers: Ibn Sina.). Altogether, Ibn Sina wrote 99 books. These books spanned the subjects of physics, philosophy, mathematics, and much more. One reason why Ibn Sina is an integral part in the world of philosophy is due the creation of his own, Avicennan Philosophy. In his philosophy, logic is a very critical aspect. Ibn Sina argues that logic is the standard by which concepts can be judged and hence has both implications for what exists outside of the mind and how one may articulate those concepts through language. He goes on to say that more importantly, logic is a key instrument and standard for judging the validity of arguments and hence acquiring knowledge. Salvation depends on the purity of the soul and in particular the intellect that is trained and perfected through knowledge (Rizvi). Using this logic, Ibn Sina creates his theology. He argues that our existence in this world is confirmed by our phenomenal experience of the world. Furthermore, he states that contingent existent cannot arise unless made by a necessary cause, even if we cannot attain solid facts on how that cause was produced, it is assumed that it comes from God. (Rizvi) Ibn Sinas philosophy is deeply rooted in his Islamic religion. The concept of the existence of one God who is the all-powerful is a major part of Ibn Sinas philosophy. In addition to his own deductive reasoning, Ibn Sina uses logic to further substantiate his views.

His philosophy is studied throughout the world today, and is also one that has been adopted by many people, especially in the Islamic faith. The second reason Ibn Sina is a very influential person in history is because of his theory of knowledge, or epistemology. He views that a person gains knowledge from the moment he is born through education and interactions with object in this world. The more one becomes familiar with an object or concept, the more he attains knowledge, through observations and propositions. To know if the propositions are correct, one must determine if the proposition is logically sound or through the Active Intellect. Active Intellect, in Ibn Sinas view, is the place where all the essences of things and all knowledge resides, and that in order to achieve this type of intellect one must be adequately trained. He goes on to say that if one comes up with two propositions, he will be unsure of the middle term, hence ones intuition will help with the correct result. Many people however object to this because it is predicated upon a cosmology widely refuted in the post-Copernican world (Rizvi). One major problem in Ibn Sinas epistemology is his view on Gods knowledge. He states that God is pure, simple and immaterial and hence cannot have a direct epistemic relation with the particular thing to be known (Rizvi). Meaning that God knows what happens in the world universally, but not particularly. This view resulted in the famous condemnation by Imam Al-Ghazali. Ibn Sinas work in medicine has paved the way for future thinkers of the world. By contributing to the advancement of medicine, Ibn Sina allowed many future scientists to build on his findings. People have studied his Al-Qanun fi Al-Tibb, which ruled for over six centuries. His contributions to medicine have a great effect on the world today as well. Without his discoveries and methods medicine would not have been advanced as it is today.

Along with his work in medicine, Ibn Sinas philosophy has had a huge influence on the world. His unique perspective allowed future philosophers to think more deeply. His books The Cure and Pointers had also become the basis for the philosophical teachings in the schools. Some have even refuted his philosophy, such as the famous Imam Al-Ghazali. His way of thinking in his philosophy was deeply rooted in his Islamic religion and Aristotelian logic, which many Muslim philosophers in the future have adopted.

Works Cited Kemal, Salim. "IBN SINA ABU ALI AL-HUSAYN." Ibn Sina. <http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/sina/art/ibn Sina-REP.htm "Philosophers: Ibn Sina." Philosophers: Ibn Sina. n. page. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/phil/philo/phils/muslim/sina.html>. Rizvi, Sajjad. "Avicenna (Ibn Sina) (c.9801037)." United Kingdom: 2006. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/avicenna/>.