Term Paper on "Metaphysics of Avicenna and Augustine of Hippo"

Term Paper 8 pages (2891 words) Sources: 10 Style: Chicago

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Apart from this Gen 2:4 and Ps 32:933 together build up a solid counter-argument against natural processes as Augustine deems that vegetation takes its time to grow and nurture into a full plant. By the same token, his sudden command could not have stirred vegetation into growth, which usually takes months. Lastly, his theological issues keep growing with all perfect God capable of creating and requiring immense time to create the heavens (Brown 2005).

Avicenna laid down the foundations on four premises: (1) universe is singular in essence; (2) it is spherical in shape and finite at one point; (3) it possesses a center; (4) earth is at the center. Moreover, Avicenna borrows heavily from Ptolemaic astronomy and cosmology composed by Aristotle, entailing nine concentric spheres, one within the other neatly lined in, beginning from the moon to the outermost interstellar space. The spheres are supposedly concentric since they have a common center, deemed as center of earth and universe (Arif 2015). (1) In this planetary model, the seven moving planets (al-kawakib al-mutahayyirah), the moon, the three outer planets (Jupiter, Mars and Saturn), the sun, two inner planets (Venus and Mercury), and stationary stars (al-thawabit) are deemed to be attached to concrete yet invisible spheres, which are responsible for their movement around the earth. (2) According to Avicenna, there exists an outermost ninth sphere (kurahkharijahanhamuhitah), supposedly the periphery of the universe, beyond which, no star and planetary object exists (ghayrmukawkabah). This theory was asserted to explain heavenly motion. Moreover, the motion of the interplanetary system was asserted due to existence of equinoctial points (nugtatd al-itidal). (3) These spheres are governed by an intelligent being as per Avicenna, constantly responsible for their cause and rotary motion (Arif 2015).

Concept of Soul

Saint Augustine studied the soul of man as since it was his prime area of interest, investigating it life-long. His area of interest on soul rested on its working, its nature and activities on the whole, regardless of the soul of the plant or a brute. His intention of understanding the human soul was not merely due to a sudden interest or for the sake of gaining knowledge regarding the human soul, but rather to satiate his curiosity about the Supreme Being by knowing deeply about its creations. This primary notion of soul is not in plainly found in the works of Augustine of Hippo, but rather its constituents are scattered through his various writings, ranging from polemical, apologetically, philosophical, dogmatical and exegetical works. Adding along further, he even dedicated some treatises on the human soul, but could not lay down the premises of foundational philosophy on it (Connor 1944 ).

As per this thought experiment, Avicenna implores to envisage a human entity, devoid of any sensory experience/sensations, as a result, this human entity has no sensory experiences (touching, smelling, hearing, tasting and seeing) to speak of. God wields the power to create such a diverse human entity devoid of experiencing any sensory experiences consisting of seeing, touching, tasting and hearing yet a fully functional one. Ibn Sina felt that this notion is not self-confounding at all, since humans can experience such a situation. However, the human entity would still feel his existence (self-awareness) as opposed to requiring diversified experiences to feel the weight of its existence (Journeaux 2012). This thought experiment is a predecessor to Rene Descartes's celebrated 'Cogito ergo sum' theorem, which is an extension of Avicenna metaphysics. However, Avicenna did not deem this to be an evidence of the reality of the human soul, since he perceived the human soul as a 'thinking entity'. As a matter of fact, his hypothesis stood to disprove the axiom asserted by Aristotle 'nothing comes into the mind before going through the senses' is clearly wrong. Self-awareness is one element, which is independent of human sensory experience. The crux of the floating man experiment was to disprove the argument that empirical evidence or sensory experiences can prove the existence of soul (Journeaux 2012).

Which Philosopher's Views are more Plausible?

The meta-physical system laid-down and explicated by Avicenna stands as the cornerstones of philosophy. Its basis largely lies in Neoplatonic and Aristotelian philosophies, yet the final exegesis extends beyond its preliminary ingredients. Using existing roots of philosophy to branch out his metaphysics, Avicenna borrows certain aspects, refines and criticizes them as opposed to extending them, in essence laying down a wholly new world-view (EncyclopediaIranica 2015). However, his relationship with both is ambivalent, since he accepted the concept of emanation cosmology, but precluded the notion of pre-existent soul as well as Neoplatonic epistemology.

His injection of critical thinking and deductive reasoning was the pivotal methodology for philosophy during the rise of the 17th century European philosophers. Simultaneously, he should be credited with initiating metaphysics and intellectual period of Muslim history. Moreover, it also represents a shift in mindset from Islamic to Neo-Platonism and Aristotelian school of thought. Furthermore, it is also an anti-thesis to doctrine presented in Islamic school of thought (kalam). Avicenna added key components to his ideology, providing a key linkage between living creatures and God, making his exegesis worth a forethought and further examination in modern times. On the whole, both philosophies are polar-opposite, but share a common ground. Moreover, the political philosophy of Al-Farabi is heavily influenced in the works of Avicenna. However, the metaphysics developed by Avicenna contains a Farabian connotation, which is to attain philosophical thought and knowledge to seek perfection to achieve self-actualization in both worlds (EncyclopediaIranica 2015).

The key to understanding the failures of Augustine lies in his personal doubts concerning the goodness of materiality, the contradictory premises of good-evil and his belief that true knowledge cannot be found in creation, but rather in the study of human souls. As a result, his disbelief regarding the reincarnation of 'Mary's little lamb' and his relationship with God having any true basis or reliability is not unfounded. He explicated the Trinity doctrine in terms of Divine Son as opposed to humanity of Jesus. By the same token, in the eyes of Augustine, the concept of incarnate Jesus, the Trinity and God pales as a failed philosophy, becoming an abstract triad. The grounds for rejection are Neo-Platonist philosophical position of Augustine, contradicting the biblical theophanies, which were associated to God in the Old Testament, causing sheer embarrassment. Augustine on the other hand, proposes to relate the theophany with angels instead (The Contemporary Critique of Augustine 2008). The cause and effect philosophy of Augustine might highlight the freedom of humans and how they fulfill their desires but the concept of causality of Avicenna and God as the prime mover is more plausible even in philosophical perspective. Augustine parallels evil and good and states that the existence of good creates the existence of evil, while Avicenna takes it beyond the already conceived boundaries of Islam and talks about the freewill of God and the punishments he imposes on the humans.

Bibliography

Arif, Syamsuddin. The Universe as a System: Ibn Sina's Cosmology Revisited. 2015. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-217042311/the-universe-as-a-system-ibn-sina-s-cosmology-revisited (accessed December 22, 2015).

Avicenna. Kitab Al Shifa. 1027.

Augustine. Saint. The Confessions of St. Augustine. Courier Corporation. 3rd Ed.

Brown, Andrew J. "The Relevance of Augustine's View of Creation Re-evaluated." Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, 2005: 136.

Brown, Montague. "Augustine on Freedom and God." Saint Anselm College. Retrieved from: http://www.anselm.edu/Documents/Institute%20for%20Saint%20Anselm%20studies/Abstracts/4.5.3.2h_22Brown.pdf

Connor, William P. O'. The Concept of the Human Soul according to Saint Augustine . Dissertation, Catholic University of America, 1944 . Retrieved from: https://archive.org/stream/conceptofhumanso00oconuoft/conceptofhumanso00oconuoft_djvu.txt

EncyclopediaIranica. AVICENNA iv. Metaphysics. 2015. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/avicenna-iv (accessed December 22, 2015). Retrieved from: http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/avicenna-iv

Fredriksen, (n.d.). Augustine on God and Memory. Retrieved from: http://www.bu.edu/religion/files/pdf/Augustine-on-God-and-Memory.pdf

IBN SINA. n.d. http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/sina/art/ibn%20Sina-REP.htm#is5 (accessed December 22, 2015).

Inati, Shams C. The Problem of Evil: Ibn Sina's Theodicy. Global Academic Publishing, 2000.

Journeaux, Tyler. Avicenna's floating man argument. May 07, 2012. https://thirdmillennialtemplar.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/avicennas-floating-man-argument / (accessed December 22, 2015).

Koukl, Gregory. Augustine on Evil. 2002. http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl201/modules/Philosophers/Augustine/augustine_evil.html (accessed December 22, 2015).

Maher, Edmond. Life with Augustine. Sydney: Augustinian Press Australia, 2002.

Matusek, Edward. "The Problem of Evil in Augustine's Confessions." Graduate Theses and Dissertations, 2011: 80.

"The Contemporary Critique of Augustine." In The Trinity and Creation in Augustine, 13. Albany: State University of New York, 2008. Retrieved from: https://www.sunypress.edu/pdf/61657.pdf READ MORE

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