Psychologie d’Ibn Sina – D’apres son oeuvre Aš-šifa’ I. "arabic" (CSAV, 1956)

Among many writings of the brilliant scholar, philosopher and writer Avicenna (from his Arabic name Abu Ali al-Hussayn b. Abd Allah Ibn Sina, born in 980 in Afsana, close to Bohara, and deceased in 1037 in Hamadan), the sixth book of his big work “Ash-shifaa“  (The Book of Healing), treating the subject of psychology , is highly significant by his importance. During the Greek antiquity as well as in the Middle Age, in Asia and in Europe, psychology had probably been, within the wide frame of philosophy and natural
sciences, the most important scientific branch, for the questions it rises extend to all the phenomenon of life but mostly to the problems of sensible and intellectual knowledge, and also the problems regarding the union of the body and soul, from here, psychology enters the field of ancient natural sciences.

This particular richness or variety of problems is visible in Avicenna’s Psychology, this book we’re interested in, and which relies -scientifically speaking- on the psychology of Aristotle and the Peripateticians, as well as on the doctrine of Body and soul professed by the ancient Greek physician - philosophers. That’s the reason why the philosophy of Middle Age’ Europe was so influenced by the Avicenna’s great Psychology. This influence, reaching to the great European Scholastics, is going to be proved and traced in this publication.

The fact Avicenna depended on Aristotle and the Peripateticians, the Greek medical philosophy and post-Aristotle natural sciences, is proven. But we find almost no important trace in the part of As-sifa discussing psychology, that marks Platonic or Neo-Platonic influence, except a few passages where Avicenna polemizes with the two. Nevertheless, when we examine other parts of the book (e.g. the theory of the Intellect), we realize an inclination of the great Scholar toward Platonic and neo-Platonic doctrine, without his thoughts losing their initial start: Aristotle’s point of view.

We all know the different writings of Avicenna about the soul, which are all shorter than As-sifa and differ from each by content, but none of these come close to the “Psychology” in as-sifa, in which the variety of problems and the brilliant thoughts are exceeding any other writing. In the history of Psychology, this work is among the most important writings. Even though it pays tribute to the Greek philosophy, psychology and natural sciences, let’s not forget it was written in the Middle Age, and this fact only endorses its intrinsic value, and reflects the great personality of its author, as well as his noble attitude toward nature and life that manifests in it.

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Title: Psychologie d’Ibn Sina – D’apres son oeuvre Ash-shifaa’ I. (arabic)
Author: Abū Alī Ibn Sīnā (980-1037)
Translation: Ján Bakoš
Language: arabic
Publisher: CSAV
Year: 1956
Number of ages: 273
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