Avicenna (980-1037)

Avicenna (980-1037) is a Persian polymath who was a Muslim philosopher, physician, and scientist that made profound contributions to Islamic philosophy, medicine, and other fields during the Islamic Golden Age.

• AKA: Ibn Sina, Sharaf al-Mulk, Hujjat al-Haq, al-Sheikh al-Ra'is.
• Context:
  • It can (typically) synthesize Aristotelian philosophy with Islamic theology.
  • It can (typically) advance metaphysical concepts such as the distinction between essence and existence.
  • It can (typically) contribute to medical knowledge through comprehensive medical encyclopedias.
  • It can (typically) influence Western philosophy and medieval scholasticism through translations of his works.
  • It can (typically) develop logical systems that reconcile rational inquiry with religious belief.
  • ...
  • It can (often) explore psychological concepts in works like Kitab al-Najat.
  • It can (often) critique astrology while advancing astronomy and physics.
  • It can (often) write in both Arabic and Persian, including poetic works.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Theoretical Philosopher to being a Practical Physician, depending on its field of focus.
  • It can range from being an Early Life Scholar to being a Court Physician, depending on its career phase.
  • It can range from being a Rationalist Thinker to being a Theological Integrator, depending on its philosophical approach.
  • ...
  • It can be associated with the Islamic Golden Age and cities like Bukhara, Isfahan, and Hamadan.
  • It can influence cultural discourse through philosophical writings that shaped both Eastern thought and Western thought.
  • It can receive recognition as the father of early modern medicine and one of the most influential Muslim philosophers.
• Example(s):
  • Major Philosophical Works, such as:
    • The Book of Healing (Al-Shifa), a philosophical encyclopedia covering logic, metaphysics, and natural sciences.
    • Remarks and Admonitions (Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat), addressing logic and mysticism.
    • The Book of Salvation (Kitab al-Najat), focusing on psychology and soul.
  • Major Medical Works, such as:
    • The Canon of Medicine (Al-Qanun fi'l-tibb), a five-volume medical encyclopedia that standardized medical practice for centuries.
  • Other Contributions, such as:
    • Astronomical observations, including the transit of Venus.
    • Chemical innovations, like deriving attar of flowers.
    • Physical theories, such as the theory of motion with inclination concept.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • a Al-Farabi, an earlier Muslim philosopher focused more on political philosophy and music theory.
  • a Al-Ghazali, a later Muslim theologian who critiqued Peripatetic philosophy and emphasized mysticism.
  • a Al-Biruni, a contemporary Muslim scientist more oriented toward empirical observation in astronomy and geography.
• See: Islamic Philosophy, Aristotelianism, Avicennism, Neoplatonism, Islamic Theology, Medieval Medicine, Islamic Golden Age.

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References

2025

• (Wikipedia, 2025) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna Retrieved:2025-7-16.
  • Avicenna (/ˌævɪˈsɛnə, ˌɑːvɪ-/; Latinized from Ibn Sina (Arabic: اِبْن سينا, romanized: ibn Sīnā; c. 980 – 22 June 1037 CE), also known as Abu Ali Sina (أَبُو عَلِيّ السِّينَ ا), was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and writers of the Islamic Golden Age, and the father of early modern medicine. Sajjad H. Rizvi has called Avicenna "arguably the most influential philosopher of the pre-modern era". He was a Muslim Peripatetic philosopher influenced by Greek Aristotelian philosophy. Of the 450 works he is believed to have written, around 240 have survived, including 150 on philosophy and 40 on medicine.

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