Philosophy

The findings of this research indicate that Avicenna, through the creative synthesis of Aristotelianism, Neoplatonism, and Islam, constructed a coherent philosophical system in which the human soul is placed at the center of all scientific and ethical inquiries. His distinction between the material, habitual, active, and acquired intellects, the theory of the floating (suspended) man, the hierarchy of existence from the Necessary Existent to possible beings, and the relationship between the soul and the body are all achievements that have deeply influenced contemporary psychology, philosophy of mind, neuroscience, and sociology. This article also presents contemporary criticisms of Avicenna from feminist, postmodern, and cognitive science perspectives, and evaluates the potential capacities of his thought to address the challenges of the twenty-first century.