Analysis of the Modal Concepts of Necessity and Permanence in the Works of Avicenna

Document Type : Scholarly Article

Author
Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, University of Birjand, South Khorasan, Iran
Abstract
The concept of necessity in Avicenna’s philosophy and logic is a fundamental issue that, due to its logical and ontological complexities, requires meticulous examination. In his works, particularly Al-Shifa and Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat, Avicenna provides various definitions and classifications of necessity, which are connected to the perspectives of Aristotle and Al-Farabi but include innovative distinctions. This study aims to analyze the concept of necessity in Avicenna’s thought by exploring its types and distinctions across his works. The research methodology is based on a textual analysis of Avicenna’s texts, including Al-ShifaAl-Isharat, and other works, alongside comparisons with the interpretations of commentators and contemporary analyses by scholars such as Rescher, Hodges, Paul Thom, Chatti, and others. The significance of this study lies in clarifying the subtle distinctions between necessity and permanence and resolving interpretive ambiguities in Avicenna’s modal logic. The findings indicate that in the Al-Ibara section of Al-Shifa, Avicenna associates necessity with permanence, but in the Al-Qiyas section of the same work and in Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat, he distinguishes between permanence and necessity. A purely temporal interpretation of necessity is inadequate, as necessity in Avicenna’s framework encompasses existential and logical dimensions beyond permanence. This study proposes a revision of the formulations of necessity to better align with Avicenna’s intellectual system.
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