Interpreting Avicenna: Critical Essays

Description

Avicenna is the greatest philosopher of the Islamic world. His immense impact on Christian and Jewish medieval thought, as well as on the subsequent Islamic tradition, is charted in this volume alongside studies which provide a comprehensive introduction to and analysis of his philosophy. Contributions from leading scholars address a wide range of topics including Avicenna's life and works, conception of philosophy and achievement in logic and medicine. His ideas in the main areas of philosophy, such as epistemology, philosophy of religion and physics, are also analyzed. While serving as a general introduction to Avicenna's thought, this collection of critical essays also represents the cutting edge of scholarship on this most influential philosopher of the medieval era. Explores the influence of Avicenna in Christianity as well as the Islamic and Jewish traditions Provides an understanding of how parts of Avicenna's thought interrelate Examines a wide range of areas of Avicenna's philosophy. 1. The life and times of Avicenna: patronage and learning in medieval Islam David C. Reisman 2. Avicenna's philosophical project Dimitri Gutas 3. Avicenna on the syllogism Tony Street 4. Avicenna's natural philosophy Jon McGinnis 5. Avicenna and medicine Peter E. Pormann 6. Avicenna's epistemological optimism Dag Nikolaus Hasse 7. Certitude, justification, and the principles of knowledge in Avicenna's epistemology Deborah Black 8. Avicenna's metaphysics Stephen Menn 9. From the necessary existent to God Peter Adamson 10. Avicenna's Islamic reception Robert Wisnovsky 11. The reception of Avicenna in Jewish cultures, East and West Gad Freudenthal and Mauro Zonta 12. Avicenna's Christian reception Amos Bertolacci.