History of Islamic Philosophy

History of Islamic Philosophy

Evolution of Perception: Farabi to Avicenna

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Nadia Maftouni 1
Mahmoud Nuri 2
1 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Tehran
2 Adjunct Professor at Tehran University of Art
10.22034/hpi.2024.444970.1060
Abstract
Maintaining strong flavor of Aristotelian theory of perception, Farabi as well as Avicenna have appended new phases to the theory. Depicting imaginary perception with its crucial jobs, Farabi explains these three activities: storing sensory forms, composing and decomposing sensory forms, as well as imagery. What Farabi names the imaginary faculties, is conceptualized as three inner perceptions, i.e., imagination, estimative and memory faculties in Avicenna’s works. Evolving existing theories of perception, Avicenna delivers an account of five inner perceptions. Beforehand Farabi did not consider any difference between imaginary perception and motekhayelah. However, he mentioned one faculty doing both activities and was usually calling it motekhayelah and sometimes imaginary perception. Conceptualizing imaginary perception with its functions, Farabi deals with three primary activities: storing sensory forms, composing and decomposing sensory forms, and imagery. In other words, Avicenna defines what Farabi calls the imaginary faculties as three inner perceptions, i.e., imagination, estimative and memory faculties.
Keywords
perceptual faculties
imagination
estimative faculty
memory
estimation

Subjects

References
Aristotle. 1995. The Complete Works of Aristotle. Edited by Jonathan Barnes, 2 Vols. Princeton: University of Princeton.
Astarabadi, Muhammad Taqi. 1980. Sharh Fusus al-Hikam. Edited by M. Daneshpajuh, Tehran: McGill University Institute of Islamic Studies.
Avicenna, Abu Ali. 1997. Isharat va Tanbihat. In: Tusi. Sharh Isharat va Tanbihat. Vol. 2, Qom: Nashr al-Balaqah.
------. 1985. Mabda va Maad. Edited by A. Nurani, Tehran: McGill University Institute of Islamic Studies.
------. 1986. Al-Nejat. Tehran: University of Tehran Prss.
------. 1953. Resaleh al-Nafs. Edited by Musa Amid, Tehran: Anjoman Asar Meli.
------. 1983. Al-Shifa (Tabiiat, Nafs). Edited by Ibrahim Madkur, Qom: Marashi Library.
------. 1984. Taliqat. Edited by A. Badavi, Qom: Maktab Ilam Islami.
------. 1995. Uyun al-Hikmah. Edited by Ahmad Hejazi, Tehran: Assadeq.
Cruz, Hernandez. 1950. “El Fontes Quaestionum (Uyun al-Masa’il) de Abu Nasr al-Farabi”. Archives d’ Histoire Doctriale et Litteraire du Moyen Age, Vol. 18: 303-323.
Farabi, Abu Nasr. 2003. Ara’ Ahl al-Madinah al-Fazilah wa Muzddatiha. Edited by Ali Bumelham, Beirut: Dar wa Maktaba al-Hilal.
------. 1930a. Al-Daavy al-Qalbiyeh. Heydarabad: Dayeratolmaaref.
------. 2004. Al-Fusul al-Muntaza‛ah. Edited by H. Malikshahi, Tehran: Sorush.
------. 1987. Al-Mantiqiyat. Vol. 2, Edited by M. Daneshpajuh, Qom: Marashi Library.
------. 1991. Al-Millah wa Nusus Ukhra. Edited by Mohsen Mahdi, Beirut : Dar al-Mashriq.
------. 1997. Al-Siyasah al-Madaniyah. Edited by Hasan Malekshahi, Tehran: Sorush.
------. 1992. Al-Ta‛liqat. In : Farabi, al-Tanbih ‛alá Sabil al-Sa‛adah wa al-Ta‛liqat wa Risalatan Phalsaphiyatan. Edited by Jafar Al Yasin, Tehran: Hikmat.
------. 1930b. Uyun al-Masayel. Heydarabad: Dayeratolmaaref.
Georr, Khalil. 1946. “Farabi est-il l’auteur de Fusus al-Hikam?”. Revue des Etudes Islamiques, Vol. 15: 31-39.
Michot, Yahya. 1982. “Tables de Correspondance des Ta’liqat d’al-Farabi, de Ta’liqat d’Avicenne et du Liber Aphorismorum d’Andrea Alpag”. Melanges de l’Institut Dominicain d’Etudes Orientales du Caire, Vol. 15: 50-231.
Pines. 1951. “Ibn Sina et l’Auteur de la Risalat al-Fusus fi’l-Hikma, quelques donnees du Probleme”. Revue des Etudes Islamiques, Vol. 19: 121-126.
Rahman, Fazl. 1979. Prophecy in Islam: Philosophy and Orthodoxy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Shanab Ghazani, Ismail. 2003. Sharh Fusus al-Hikmah. Tehran: Anjoman Mafakher Farhangi.
Strauss, Leo. 1934. “Maimunis Lehre von der Prophetie und ihre Quellen”. Le Monde Oriental, Vol. 28: 99-139.
Tusi, Nasir. 1997. Sharh Isharat wa Tanbihat. Vol. 2, Qom: Nashr al-Balaqah.

  • Receive Date 20 February 2024
  • Revise Date 23 April 2024
  • Accept Date 08 May 2024