The study of Avicenna s view regarding soul (Proof of substantiality, immateriality and the origination of the soul)

Transcription

1 The study of Avicenna s view regarding soul (Proof of substantiality, immateriality and the origination of the soul) Dr. Syed SadrAl-din Taheri Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Allameh Tabatabai, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Ghasemi M.A, in philosophy and Islamic theology employing in ministry of education, Tehran, Iran Abstract This study aims at investigating Avicenna s view regarding soul. However, since he discussed this concept widely, the researcher has to choose some parts of it. First the soul is proved based on Avicenna s views and the arguments of stability, continuity and suspended man have been used. Then, the substantiality of the soul is studied based on the four arguments of the substantiality of the soul. Immateriality and the origination of the soul are other discussions that are considered in this study. Finally, the researcher presents discussions and conclusions regarding the subjects. Keywords: Avicenna s, soul, origination of the soul. Page 1071

2 1. Introduction Soul is one of the most important philosophical issues that Greek scholars such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and great Muslim philosopher such as Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ishaq Kindi and Abu Nasr al-farabi and especially Ibn Sina and western scholars discussed it and tried hard to solve the problems; however, we can say confidently that no one has ever discussed it like Avicenna. In most of his books, such as Shafa, healing, he elaborated on soul and the sixth chapter of the book relates to it. Also the third chapter of his book Tanbihat and Esharat Punishment and tips relates to soul. Moreover, in different articles such as soul, he presented a full discussion of this problem. As it was pointed out, Avicenna is not the first philosopher who talked about soul; however, undoubtedly his discussions about the soul influenced the philosophy of Middle Ages a lot. There is an important question: what was his purpose of discussing such problems? Now, we answer this question. Among the reasons that Avicenna was interested in the discussion of the soul from childhood was the tendency at that time and the people s interest in discussing this subject. The story of his life which was partly written by him and partly by his student Abu'Ubayd al-juzjani clarifies the point. 1 Another reason that influences his attention to soul and his efforts in developing and elaborating on the truth and the identity of this subject was his medical profession and his research, experience and study in this field. In his book Ghanun, law, he discussed the power of the soul and the relationship between soul and body in detail. 2 Another reason that undoubtedly encouraged Avicenna to study soul was his religious beliefs. This point can be appreciated from his sayings and from his discussions in his books. 1 probably, the most important reason for his attention and interest in proving soul was the discussions of other Islamic scientists such as Ashari and Baghelani that supported the quintessence of the person and rejected the soul and they exaggerated a lot in their discussions. Their discussions were so exaggerated that Avicenna felt the need to shed light on this problem and clarify it and prevent people from going astray. He tried hard to make people aware and prove the soul and clarify the relationship between soul and body. Therefore, it can be said that the main purpose of Avicenna in writing different books and articles regarding soul was proving the existence of the soul and its substantiality and rejecting the ideas and beliefs of extremist advocates of material philosophy and groups such as Ashaereh. 2. The definition of the soul Avicenna s definition of the soul is the same as Aristotle s definition. Avicenna defined the soul in this way: the first perfection for natural organic body.1 this definition is exactly the same as Aristotle s definition2 but there is an important difference. In Aristotle s definition, perfection is the synonym of surface and soul is the surface of the body and cannot exist without it. Surface needs substance to exist. Avicenna stated his difference with Aristotle. Therefore, he emphasized Page 1072

3 that every surface is perfection but not every perfection is surface. for example the shipmaster of perfection is the ship but it is not its surface and parts of the perfection which are apart from self are neither the surface of the substance nor in the substance since the surface which is in the substance is inherent in it. Different expressions have been used in the definition of the soul, for example, power and surface. The perfection of the soul is called power since it performs tasks and Avicenna believed that it was better to call soul, perfection. If we consider soul as power, we consider both active and passive aspects. Active power which is stimulation and movement and passive power which understands and perception and both of them share power. If we use power in the definition of the self, we will not clarify the point. What do we mean; which meaning is considered? It is imperfect. Therefore, it is better to use perfection in the definition of the soul. Another expression which was used in the definition of soul was natural and organic body. Therefore all artificial objects are excluded and other natural objects that do not have soul are excluded in implementing soul. Therefore, the limit of the soul is that it is the first perfection for natural organic body, that is, natural body is the instrument of soul in actions since it originates from the soul. Consequently, it is better to use perfection in the definition of soul to have a complete definition. Perfection is of two types: the first perfection with which the species is completed and the second perfection which comes after the species is completed such as feeling and movement for animals. Therefore the first perfection is the source of action and the second perfection is action itself and its consequences. Person needs the first perfection, and the second perfection needs person. Therefore, soul is the first perfection through which the species will be realized and material will be completed. On the other hand, since perfection is the perfection for something and it can be bodily or non- bodily, soul is the first perfection for the body and because of it the meaning of 3 sort becomes species. 3. The study of the definition of the soul By presenting that definition of soul, Avicenna tried to reject the dichotomy between soul and body that some people believed in it. When he asserted that soul was the first perfection, he referred to the unity of the soul and body. He changed the definition of Aristotle regarding soul; he was a believer and believed in the other world and resurrection, and changed that definition based on the foundations of his religion. Meanwhile, some people such as Thomas Aquinas believe that in the definition of soul, Aristotle s idea regarding surface was not what Avicenna recognized and understood. 4. The proof of soul Avicenna presented different reasons to prove soul. They are summarized as the followings: 1. Natural or experimental proof (proof of the movement and perception) Sheikh adopted the argument of Plato and Aristotle. He used this argument from empirical premises. He argued: "Among the objects, we see a group that has feeding, growth, reproduction, and voluntary movement and these things for these objects are not due to being objects. If so, all objects should have these properties. Therefore, there are other principles in the nature of these objects for Page 1073

4 performing these tasks. What is the source of doing some activities and tasks that are not the same and are not intentional? It is soul.1 Sheikh also proved soul through movement. He initially divided movement into two kinds: Qsry and non Qsry. One type is the same as that in the current environment, such as rock that falls from height and what is of this type that does not need an inner stimulus. And one that is opposition to nature. Like bird s flight and human gait. So inevitably and undoubtedly, this movement is contrary to the nature and requires the driving force that is beyond body. It is probable that the source of intentional movement in animals is corporeality. Through hard work, search and analysis in this field, and by various reasons, Avicenna proved that corporeality and body do not have necessary qualifications. 5. Suspended man proof From among the interesting reasons that Avicenna used in proving the existence of soul is suspended man reasoning and Gilson called it flying man proof. Avicenna used this reasoning in Esharat, tips, under the title of Tanbih, warning, to show that he believed soul was evident and his arguments are only warnings on the existence of soul. He argued in this way: understand yourself and think when you are healthy, also at the time of disease when you can recognize, be aware of self. Are you unaware of your existence and do not prove yourself? I do not think that wise and knowledgeable people do not prove themselves and be unaware. Those who are asleep and those who are drunk are not unaware of themselves although they forget their nature. If you suppose that you are created with proper body and mind and if you also suppose that you are in a state that you cannot see or touch your body and they are suspended in the air, in this state, you will find yourself unaware of everything except your existence. 1 In his book Shafa, healing, Avicenna stated that based on the supposition that we are created in an empty space or vacuum and we can not see external objects, we must think whether we believe in our existence? And do not doubt in proving it. In this situation, we do not believe in our external parts such as hand, leg, and internal organs such as hearth and liver rather we believe merely on self. If we can imagine hand or other parts in that situation, neither do we consider it a part of our nature, nor a condition for our nature. You know what is proved here ( self, I) is different from what we do not confess. The only thing that we are not unaware of it in that empty and vacuum space is self that Sheikh named soul. 6. Stability and continuity proof Another Avicenna s experimental and philosophical proof regarding soul is stability and continuity proof and he called it great proof and believed that this proof opens the doors of Unseen in front of us. 1 He compares soul and body and identifies great differences between them, that is, body is subject to change, development and damage and consists of components that are subject to transformation but soul is always constant. Sheikh stated that oh, wise man, be aware that you are the person that you have been all your life and even remember what you have experienced; Page 1074

5 undoubtedly, you are constant and continuous but your body is always subject to failure and retardation and you need food to be alive. 7. Substantiality of the Soul The problem of substantiality of the soul and its independence from body has been the subject of the discussion of scholars and philosophers for a long time and it was proved by Avicenna in Islamic philosophy for the first time. He offered his own ideas in this regard and presented in his books and articles. The most comprehensive discussion is in Shafa, healing. The second chapter of the first article, the sixth skill of Shafa was allocated to the problem of substantiality of the soul. Meanwhile, the proofs of the substantiality of the soul can be driven from other chapters of the book. In his book Shafa, before proving the substantiality of the soul, Avicenna reminded that soul is perfection, that is, something that creates the animality of animals and this is not sufficient for proving the substantiality of the soul.1 then, Avicenna pointed out that from substantiality of the soul, we cannot prove its immateriality since despite the fact that surface and material are substance, they are not different from matter. First, Avicenna proved the substantiality and then he presented reasons for immateriality. First, it is necessary to prove substantiality and then its immateriality. Before discussing the main point and proving the substantiality of the soul, it is necessary to talk about Avicenna s purpose for raising this issue. Avicenna s opponents argue that it is not necessary to suppose a substance as soul. The substantiality of soul is assumed as a result of unwillingness toward material world and duality of soul and body and the imagination of survival and immortality. Soul is nothing except the life activities (feeding, reproduction and movement). The relationship between soul and body is like kicking and leg. 1 Avicenna defined soul in a way that excluded the discussion of substantiality and parting of soul and then considered the substantiality of the soul through defining substance. Although Avicenna stated that soul and body are correlative to each other and body must be exactly considered in the definition of the soul, as building is considered in the definition of building. The problem of substantiality can be proved independent of the analysis and determination of this relationship. Therefore, although the close and inner relationship between soul and body is indisputable and the concomitance of soul and body is acceptable, it is not possible to think about soul in a way that we consider it as display of the body. 8. The first proof of the soul substantiality After the separation of soul, body does not remain constant. Either its kind and substance will be cancelled or it will take another surface to keep matter in its nature. Therefore, natural body does not remain stable; rather its part will change by time. Then, soul is essence since it is a surface that is not in the subject and in other words, the subject does not become changeable by damaging display; therefore, it shows the substantiality of the soul. Page 1075

6 9. The second proof Soul is not considered display since it determines itself to a large extent; therefore, free will is a strong reason on the substantiality of the soul. In material world under specific conditions, just one result can be achieved. However, in case of soul always, there are two possibilities at the time of practice and performance. All people are aware of their freedom and will and feel free at the time of decision making and regret, punishment, moral sentences, responsibility, religious beliefs, and spiritual virtues are indications of free will and liberty. 10. The third proof Soul has creative activities, it is the independent origin of activities and we cannot relate these activities to something that is the function of another thing. Rather we can relate the activities to something that is independent and determines itself which is quintessence. Soul is not only the source of movement, rather it is initiator in higher stages, it means, it is the source and animation. Soul determines our goals and purposes along with hopes, fears, affection, hatred, emotion and excitement. Soul is the selector of our purpose and goal, the creator of values, initiator of relationships and situations, the source of new ideas and fresh life. Moreover, it is the origin of good and evil, truth and falsehood, and right and wrong This initiative and innovative activity cannot be considered as the function of something else, because in this case, it will not be the source or primer. 11. The fourth proof The substantial reason of Avicenna in favor of substantiality of the soul is awareness and wit. The specific nature of self awareness is that it is independent. The identification is not possible without an identifier and an identifiable object. However, identifier can identify and experience itself. We know this point through self observation or introspection and it is the awareness that accompanies all our informed thoughts and actions. This reason is practical in proving soul. Some contemporary scholars believe that innovative and practical reasons of Avicenna that were presented for proving soul and referred to as floating man can prove the substantiality of the soul since it is based on the idea that being ignorant of body and its organs does not result in the ignorance of soul. 12. Immateriality of the soul After proving the substantiality of the soul, Avicenna presented the subject of the immateriality of the soul. Believing in the immateriality of the soul and its survival after absolute death according to Avicenna is the most important foundations of religious discussions such as resurrection. Avicenna tried hard to present the proof of the immateriality of the soul and had important innovations. Mirza Saleh Mazandarani stated, it is clear from the discussions of Sheikh that he Page 1076

7 was so powerful and intelligent in reasoning for accurate problems. Since this reason cannot occur to the mind even with intense thinking. Therefore, we recognize innovation and creativeness in his discussions. Etin Jilson believes that the most important point in Avicenna s opinions regarding soul is that he didn t consider soul as body rather it was an independent quintessence and this resulted in immateriality of the soul. By presenting reasons Avicenna proved that soul was an abstract and spiritual quintessence not material. He gave some reasons in Shafa, healing, for the immateriality of the soul and we will discuss some of them. Some proofs for understanding soul are without mediator, some are based on logical reasoning and some are based on the idea that it is not deteriorated rather it becomes more powerful. 13. The fourth reason According to Avicenna the best proof of immateriality that in his book Almobahesat, discussions, he referred to as the most beautiful proof, is the proof which is based on the presence of the human nature in soul without mediation since whatever contains its nature can stand alone and is non physical. The advantage of this proof is that it is not based on the compliance of reasonable forms rather it is based on the nature of soul. 14. The fifth reason According to Mirza Saleh Mazandarani, another argument in favor of the immateriality of the soul is that the human beings have an understanding of reasonable and abstract forms; however, we must know where the immateriality of these forms come from. Whether this immateriality comes from an external source or from a reasonable source in the soul? Undoubtedly, immateriality does not originate from an external source because that external source is a matter itself or at least, some parts of it are matters. Therefore, their immateriality comes from their origin, that is, their soul. Consequently, soul must be abstract to provide the immateriality of the form.1 The proofs of the immateriality of the soul can be divided into three groups: one group involves proofs which are based on the impossibility of the conformity of logical surfaces in body. The second group relates to proofs that are achieved by comparing the function of soul quintessence with the function of bodily factors and regarded their functions different from each other and considers soul nonphysical. The third group which is the strongest one, are those proofs which are based on the presence of the soul in essence. The shortcoming of the first group is that how an abstract thing like soul can be in place of logical things. Whether this (being a place of logical thinking) is not inseparable from talent and power and inseparable from materiality. Is it possible for the soul to accept a surface without having the talent for its acceptance? Therefore, based on the proofs of the second and third groups, we can accept the immateriality of soul and consider it as nonphysical. Page 1077

8 15. Origination of the soul At first, it seems that Avicenna s ideas regarding the origination of the soul and its occurrence is ambiguous. For example, it seems that he believed in the existence of the soul from beginning in Ghasideh Einieh, clear Ode, and discussed that soul descended from celestial world. While in other books he believed in the incidence of the soul and believed that soul happened with body. Islamic scholars presented two theories to justify the duality of Avicenna s opinion. Some scholars doubted Ghasideh Einieh, clear Ode, and its attribution to Avicenna. 2 Some have a virtual interpretation of the descent of soul; soul has a tendency toward the body despite its dignity and sublimity. Dr. Ali Akbar Siasi considers this ode a revolution in Avicenna s ideas and his tendency toward Eshragh, illumination. Souls are not different regarding identity and surface since they have the same surface. Their difference is in their body. Sheikh stated: if it was possible that souls exist without body, it was not possible that one soul be different from another and it is true for all objects. Since objects whose nature is merely meaning, their reproduction depends on their carrier and conveyor and what they are originated from. It explains that it is impossible that one soul exist and then that one soul be divided into different bodies since it can not be divided. Another reason is that the surface of one body cannot be the surface of another body simultaneously. Therefore, souls will exist when bodily materials which have the qualification of occurrence come into existence. In his discussions, Avicenna made clear that at the beginning of occurrence, human soul is separate from the substance and after the occurrence of the body, it comes into existence and adopts a kind of attachment to the body and it doesn t deteriorate with the deterioration of the body rather it remains forever. He discussed, from among those things that we don t have any doubt about them is that the descent of celestial soul and supernatural things from their origin does not results in deterioration rather they are alive forever. As it was pointed out in the discussion of the soul, soul is the surface of the body and soul can not occur unless body becomes prepared for it. It seems that Avicenna s opinions regarding the occurrence of the soul have relative coordination with verses and sayings regarding the creation of soul. As supreme God stated in great Quran Sura Hojor, verse 29: when We created the body of human beings and made them equal, then We bestowed our soul on it. 1 From Avicenna s discussions, we understand that body is an instrument for soul and the soul has a tendency toward the body. Regarding the Ghasideh Einieh, clear ode, it seems that this is not in opposition to Avicenna s theory, rather it is in accordance to his discussions since Avicenna believed in the occurrence of soul and emphasized on his belief in most of his books. 16. Discussion and conclusion Soul is among the topics and subjects that have been discussed in natural science and supernatural discussions and different definitions have been presented. Most of the definitions regarding the soul are from Aristotle and Sheikh Avicenna s discussions have conformity with Page 1078

9 his beliefs in some aspects and are different in some other aspects. In other words, Avicenna agreed with Aristotle in some discussions and disagreed with him in some aspects. Avicenna did not regarded soul as the surface of the body. He presented different reasons to prove the soul such as proof based on movement and perception, proof of suspended man, the proof of continuity and stability. Having proved the soul, he proved the immateriality of the soul and the most important proof is the awareness and wit of the soul. It seems that this discussion is an introduction to the immortality of the soul that has its own reasons. One of his most important reasons is the presence of soul in itself that was firstly used for proving soul itself. In the discussion of the origination and occurrence of the soul, it seems that the reader becomes confused and mixed up; in one book he talked about the descent of soul that equals the existence of the soul from beginning; however in other books, he asserted that the soul and the body come into existence simultaneously. According to the discussions, it seems that this great scholar considered his religious background in his intellectual discussions especially in the discussion of the soul and then presented his ideas. Specially, his belief in the resurrection and the other world influenced his interpretation of the opinions of Aristotle, the first teacher, and he modified and adjusted his ideas. However, in the discussions relating to the occurrence of the soul, he was influenced by Aristotle and other philosophers. Page 1079

10 References Avicenna, soul article, corrected and modified by Musa Amid. Pages Moses. Avicenna's Soul article, Introduction, Annotations and Corrections by Dr. Musa Amid. Tehran, National Heritage Association 1952, Page 9 Aristotle, On the Soul, translated by Ali Murad Davoodi (Tehran) Hekmat, 1987, Page 78 Avicenna, Soul article. Page 9 Avicenna's article on the power of the soul, Cairo Page 8 Dibur, T. J. The History of Philosophy in Islam. Translated by Abbas Shoghi, Ataee Publications, second edition Page 140. Ibn Hazm,Al-Fasl fe melal va Al-ahva va Al-nahl, separation in countries and fancies and bees, fi 7. f. K. Avicenna, law, printed by Seyed Razi, Tehran Pages 49 and 45. The birth of Avicenna from Al-Qifti, Yaghut, Beyhaghi and Shahrazuri 370 Higrah, but according to Ibn Abi Asibaeh 375 Higrah and died in 428 Higrah. Page 1080