Avicennian Philosophy Journal
Year:2017 | Volume:20 | Issue:56|Papers Count:7

Muslim philosophers and theologians have considered pain from various aspects and tried to answer to the relevant questions. One of these questions which attracted the attention of philosophers is about the causes of pain. As a philosopher as well as a physician, Avicenna investigates the problem of the (efficient) cause(s) of pain. He does not restrict the cause of bodily pains to the ‘separation of the continuity of bodily organs’. Instead, he adds the ‘unbalanced temperament’ as the second cause. In order to argue for the claim that such a separation can cause pain, he appeals to some experiences. Moreover, he provides some arguments for the second claim; one of them is based on the cases in which a specific pain is distributed in all parts of an organ. For him, such a pain cannot be caused by the separation. His view, however, faces many counter examples which show that neither of these two expresses the sufficient conditions of pain.

Providing a clear definition for faculties of the soul and enumerates the functions of each of the powers, requires a priori answer to the question of "the possibility of a multiplicity of soul faculties" and "criterion of plurality of any of them". Ibn Sina is one of the first philosophers to explain the exact position of powers in soul and offers criterion of “plurality of powers based on the number of material-type verbs" based on the rule of Al-Wahed. Fkhre Razy by rejection of Kubravi Al- Wahed rule, challenges the Ibn Sina's criteria. He reduced the plurality of powers to a plurality of instruments and based on that, considers the soul directly as the perceiver and agent of all actions and their perceptions. In the meantime, sadrolmote'allehin provided a middle way on the issue based on foundations of psychology that are based on transcendental philosophy ontology. He neither followed Ibn Sina's way to introduce the soul faculties as agent and direct perceiver, nor did he offer the ideas like Fkhre Razy about the rejection of intermediary of powers. Rather, through a considering a gradational approach, he criticized Ibn Sina and Fkhre Razy reductionism. Moreover, he stated the various faculties of the soul in three orders of sense, mind and intellect, and despite of proofs over intermediary of powers, he saw the soul as a perceiver and immediate agent.

It is said that Farabi –like Avicenna- has classified the entities into two parts. In this classification which is based on the causality, all the entities -except God that is the single necessary by itself- are contingent by itself and necessary by means of the others. In spite of classifying the entities into necessary and contingent, in many of Farabi's works the criteria of distinction and consequently examples of these parts are different with Avicenna’s classification. From Farabi’s Sharh Al- Ibarah, two kinds of classifications are identified. The criterion of classification in one of them is actuality and in other is eternity. In both, non-materials are considered as necessary and materials are contingent. However, Farabi’s view is different in other works. In some of them nothingness is the separate characteristic of contingents and God is out of classification. In other works, this classification is exactly according to the Avicenna’s system.

Kitab al-Shifa (Part of Theology) in comparison to the previous metaphysical works has a genuine and innovative structure, in addition to innovations in content. Regardless of statements of Ibn Sina in the Shifa's introduction, opinion of some researchers in Sina’s philosophy obviously denoted to this claim. Researching on the foundations and epistemic sides of this structure is valuable and necessary in that it can lead to clarifying depth, scope and type of Ibn Sina's view in establishing his metaphysics with marvelous and distinctive sides. The goal of this article is describing, analyzing and explaining the structure of metaphysics in this Ibn Sina’s masterpiece. For this, the article begins with categorizing the various levels of knowledge structure to four classes regarding the universal concept of structure and Ibn Sina's philosophy of science, including propositional, terminal, divisional and configurational. Then, we analyzed and described the structure of the Shifa's theology in case of these categories. According to the study, the structure of Shifa's theology is axiomatic in the propositional level, arboreal in terminal level and lineal in divisional and configurational levels. The result shows that foundationalism and essentialism in ontological and epistemological aspects, separately, had influence on creation of axiomatic structure of propositions and arboreal structure of terms in Kitab al-Shifa (Part of Theology). In addition, logic of asking question as a methodological factor influenced in its axiomatic structure.

There is a meaning transition about "Existence" (Wojūd) and "Existing" (Mojūd) in Arabic language. These two terms are derivities from one linguistical origin is named wejdān and in philosophical paradigm both of them were considered only as epistemic idioms to explain the relationship between narrator (as a subject) and outer world. After translation of Greek philosophical works to Arabic language and acceptation it by Muslim Philosophers the meaning of wojud and mojud changed slowly from epistemic to ontologic phase so that they were applied to explain objects by oneselves without their correlation with subject or narrator. In comparison with lexical and literary works befor and after Avicenna's period we discover an important conversion about the previous meaning to new one which was considered as "being from inexistence". After consolidation of Philosophy in Arabic language this new meaning extended quickly in philosophical texts however the previous meaning also is seen beside this new one.

Risalat-al-Tayr is the symbolic story of the fall of the soul/intellect from the heavenly world, its being captivated in the mundane world, and its effort for liberation and eternal unification with intellectus agens. There are many symbols in the story including bird, hunter, trap, homesickness, journey, captivity, mountain etc. In this treatise, Avicenna proposes a supernaturalistic theory of the meaning of life, according to which the life will be meaningful only if a person discovers an essential goal in her life and tries to reach it. It is necessary for the goal to be actually valuable and for the person to be actually successful in achieving that goal. The only choice for such a goal is God. For Avicenna, the meaning of life is tied to immortality of the soul, existence of God, the epistemic ability of intellect, and the possibility of human evolution to the extent that she will be eternally unified with intellectus agens.

Avicenna believes human soul has an immortal life. While believing immateriality of soul he denies eternity of soul and believes human soul was created as incorporeal being. He made some argument in most of his books on justifying the problem. Some of his bases in this problem are; immateriality of soul that the human soul need to immaterial eternal Wisdom, that the eternal Wisdom don’t destroys human soul and other bases. Avicenna justifies immortality of soul. What is core of all of his argument and seen directly or implicitly is simplicity and immateriality of human soul. Aristotle’s thought effect on Avicenna’s idea in this problem. While some successful of Avicenna’s argument in immortality of soul, It has defects one of them is; week explanation of developments process of soul. This defect was considered in Molla-Sadra’s thought.