Essence  a n d  Existence VII  

27th October, 1999

Franz Mesmer, Avicenna and Averroës. 

SCENE:   Philosophy Seminar

(A week later, everybody awaiting their favourite seminar. At last, five minutes late, Prof. Coseino arrives, scolding at the heavy city traffic jam. He begins his lecture.)

Coseino: Yeah! It is true. By Jove, outside it is raining cats and dogs! One cannot rely on anything anymore. Not on Apollo, not on Venus! Sorry to be late; better late than never. I was caught up in a terrible traffic jam. A pity that I could not begin the class by remote control, by telepathy. This reminds me that already in 1772 another Franz had introduced the first mind control device. I'm referring to Dr. Franz Mesmer who claimed to have induced a hypnotic trance-like state by using a device that produced extremely high pitched sounds.

Jeffrey: This means that the concept of inducing mind control using devices of applied physics has roots in 18th century Europe. I always warned that the Illuminati launched "Mind Control" from its very inception.

Coseino: Yes, Jeff! The infamous Dr. Franz Friedrich Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was an Austrian physician who was physically inducing a hypnotic and trance-like state in human beings as a curative remedy. Later, in Psychology, this process became known as mesmerism;  this "animal magnetism" was powerful enough to exercise an extraordinary influence on the human body.

In 1785, the French government investigated his work and its "incriminating findings" forced Mesmer into a life of disrepute. Nonetheless, it was he who pioneered the field of hypnotic therapy. Well, perhaps when we have completed the investigation of our New Philosophy, there will be no need anymore for mesmerism, hypnosis, for packed classrooms, for ossified, assified, sorry, I mean "massified" universities, for internet crashes; we will enjoy emancipatory, omnipresent, omniscient, omniphilosophic, "instantaneous messages".

Mohammed: Prof., Dream On! I know that we are a "Dream Team", but as Pandemonium Crew, the matter is not quite so simple!

Coseino: Okay! It's true. Now I will give you my lecture on the "Aristotelian Right and Left", then our discussion will set in, treating major aspects of African, Arab and Jewish Philosophy, concentrating on Avicenna, Averroës and Avicebron.

(For about an hour, Coseino introduces his students into classical African-Arab-Jewish Philosophy. Then, the debate starts.)

Patricia: Prof. Coseino, please introduce us to the relevant aspects of Platonism and Neoplatonism, which had an influence on Islamic and Medieval Jewish Philosophy.

Indira: How could the Arab-Jewish philosophers read the Greek texts, when, around 700 AD,  they were not yet translated; perhaps, only partially,  in Latin? Worse even, as we know, the Platonic Academy itself was eliminated.

Coseino: After the Muslim conquest of Syria and Egypt, between 800 and 1000 AD, Platonic dialogues, Alexandrian Neoplatonist commentaries and Neoplatonic treatises were translated from Greek into Arab languages, partly from already existent Syriac versions.

Mohammed: Hence, it is clear that on the basis of these translated texts, Islamic theology and philosophy could flourish.

Coseino: Yes, now Neoplatonism, also Aristotelian influence, could enter Arab-Jewish Philosophy.

Albert: Who were the outstanding philosophers of that epoch?

Coseino: Five famous Muslim philosophers were generated from this particular medieval superstructure:

the Arab, al-Kindi (c. 800-870),

the Turk, al-Farabi (c. 878-c. 950),

the Persian, Avicenna (Ibn Sina, in full, ABU 'ALI AL-HUSAYN
IBN 'ABD ALLAH IBN SINA, born 980, in Bukhara, Iran,
died 1037, in Hamadan,

the Muslim Spaniard, Averroës (Ibn Rushd, 1126-98), and

the Muslim Jewish Spaniard, Avicebron(Ibn Gabirol, c. 1022-c. 1058/70).

Alfred: This is getting most interesting. Where do we start with these Arabian "Thousand-And-One Nights" ? I am fascinated by "Flying Carpets" and "Magic Lamps".

Jeffrey: "Magic Alfred". Wake Up! These are not "Baywatch Nights", it is broad daylight, it is emancipatory ex oriente lux!

Alfred: You are right: Always something new comes from Northern Africa and the "East"!

Coseino: We will just treat Avicenna, Averroës and Avicebron, in this respective order, also only those aspects which pertain to our central theme "Essence  a n d   Existence", to our Philosophy. We are not analysing Arab Philosophy in general here, and not in the typical school or university style. Thus, we will start with Avicenna, continue with Averroës, and just lightly touch Avicebron.

This Iranian physician, Avicenna, the most influential philosopher-scientist of Islam, was famous for his contributions in the fields of Aristotelian Philosophy and Medieval Medicine. He wrote the famous work, the Kitab ash-shifa' ("Book of Healing"), an extensive philosophical and scientific encyclopaedia, and al-Qanun fi at-tibb, a Canon of Medicine, a classic in the history of medicine.

William: Tell us something about his early life, perhaps some outstanding events psychologically have influenced his philosophy.

Coseino: Certainly. Wilhelm Reich and Frantz Fanon would have been fascinated to study the early life of Avicenna, and surely, you, as blossoming "Future Hope", as blooming "Hope of the Future", as our fiery "hornets",  you could surely learn something emancipatory from him, with reference to Act  a n d   Thought, to Praxis  a n d  Theory. For this reason, as an exception, I will give a more detailed description of the early life of Avicenna.

Avicenna practically spent his whole life in the eastern and central parts of Iran, where he received his primary education in Bukhara, under the direction of his father. In fact, I also received my earliest education from my teacher at school, from my father. He did an excellent introductory job. Like in my case, the house of Avicenna's father was a meeting place of all sorts of people who wanted to do  a n d  to learn something. The youngster, Avicenna, learned a lot in this praxical  a n d  theoretical atmosphere.

This flowering, fruiting boy, this precocious child, developed an excellent memory, which he kept all his life; also, this is very familiar to me, with respect to my early childhood. I could memorize whole chapters of the Holy Bible, which I had to read to my Auntie every night for years, also Shakespearean Mark Anthony orations and the like. In comparison, Avicenna, by the age of 10, had memorized the Qur'an and a huge amount of  Arabic poetry.

However, "Coloured Education" in Apartheid South Africa could not accelerate my education, there were practically no secondary or high schools anywhere in sight. As I discovered later, also confirmed by Einstein, this was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. Nonetheless, Avicenna was "luckier"; an early Renaissance wind already blew his "ship of fortune" into the immense philosophic "ocean of knowledge". Already at the age of 15 he studied logic and metaphysics, under official teachers and tutors whom he at this tender age outgrew; thereafter, until the age of 18, he simply self-educated himself.

He miraculously cured the sickly Samanid prince, Nuh ibn Mansur, and as gratitude, he gained access to the rich Royal Library of the Samanids, that is, to the "seat of knowledge" of the first great native dynasty that had come into existence in Iran after the Arab conquest; there he read extensively and became an expert in Islamic law, in medicine, and finally in metaphysics.

At the age of 21, he was already famous in all branches of formal learning and had gained an excellent reputation as an outstanding medical doctor. He even presented social services as an administrator, and for a short while, he entered government services as a clerk.

But then, the tables turned. The next stage, fit for psychological analysis set in. His father died. The House of Samanid was defeated by Mahmud of Ghazna, by the legendary Turkish hero who had established Ghaznavid rule in Khorasan.

Mohammed: Knowing your life story, the elements, and psychological effects, of course, in other times and places, are extremely similar and familiar. I know what a revolutionary globetrotter you became, after the 1960's, after Macmillan's "winds of change", after the Sharpeville Massacre, and how you were wandering across the globe "without passport, without visa".

Coseino: This is true, but it did not convert me into the genius Avicenna.

Karl: I am not quite so sure about that!

Martina: We know you covered nearly all continents and sub-continents, but, where was the "poor thing" roaming about?
And, what was he doing  a n d  thinking in the meantime?

Coseino: The stormy turmoil, the battalions of  a "sea of troubles", which resulted, would follow Avicenna until the end of his life. But, he took it bravely, with a Clausewitz type of tranquility.

However, as always, this personal misdemeanour was related to far-reaching change of relations in the whole world of Avicenna.

It was a most tumultuous period in Iranian history. The new emerging Turkish ruling classes were replacing Iranian domination in Central Asia. Local Iranian dynasties fought for their political independence from the 'Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad (somewhere in the region of modern Iraq). The scientific "coolness" of Avicenna was such, that all the "political heat" and coming "renaissance dust" could not discontinue his intellectual work, they could not sabotage the development of his Philosophy; with remarkable consistency and continuity, he completed his life work; if he could avoid it, he did not participate in dangerous ventures and futile adventures. This is all about the most important data of his life - I told you, that you could learn a lot from Avicenna.

Patricia and Jeanette: (protesting, and nearly simultaneously exclaiming:) No, Professor, you cannot stop now! What happened thereafter? This "Hitchcock" film is getting more and more tense, filled with suspense!

Alfred: I am acquainted with the story too. I will relate the rest.

Coseino: Proceed. My colleague has cancelled his class, in favour of us. Thus, we have some more time for debates today.

Alfred: Thereafter, Avicenna visited different cities of Khorasan; finally, he decided to utilize the new ruling class for his own purposes. Jeffrey could learn something about this illuminated philosopher! Anyhow, he went to the Court of the Buyid Princes, who were ruling over central Iran. At first, he settled down in Qazvin, where he practised as a physician.

However, he found neither social and economic support nor the necessary tranquility to continue his philosophic work. Then, he approximated the Buyid Prince,  Shams ad-Dawlah . There he had more luck, the next phase in his life was ushered in.
Like Professor Coseino, Avicenna spent most time with his students, far advanced in the night, he was composing these and other works and carrying out general philosophical  a n d  scientific debates and chats related to them. These scientific
a n d  philosophic sessions were often combined with fine drinks, musical performances and academic gaiety, which lasted until late hours of the night.

He was appointed as court physician, and twice as vizier. All over a "bed of roses" awaited him, he enjoyed the favour of this royal ruler. But, as it is always on the order of the day, and modern cinema makes use of these motifs, all over he was envied, the political reaction organized intrigues, conspiracy groups even threatened his life, then, like Mandela, he went underground, hiding for some time; then he was caught, and imprisoned. Even in jail, he was writing his books. He was released, and his active life continued, until finally he died in 1037, in Hamadan. This is a "Thriller" worth filming. I will think about it, after graduation.

Bill: Now, for the data base of my planned future "Ontic Web", for the Web Site: Avicenna's "Thriller", What Is the Essence of his Science?  a n d   How does his Philosophy Exist?

Coseino: Fine, Alfred and Bill. But, to the rest of Avicenna's life, there is much more to it. I will treat this part in a philosophic manner.

At the time of his "bed of roses" period, Avicenna began to write the two famous books which we mentioned before already, the Kitab ash-shifa' , the largest work ever written by a single thinker, and the "Canon". The Kitab treated logic, natural sciences, psychology, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, music, metaphysics, ethics and politics.

As Ernst Bloch had explained, Avicenna belongs to the "Aristotelian Left"; the "Right" develops itself across Plotin to St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. Avicenna launched the "Aristotelian Left", and it continued to Averroës and Avicebron, and eventually reached Renaissance Philosophy, dissipated itself in Reverend Peter Gassendi, and then gained momentum in the Philosophy of Giordano Bruno.

Philosophically, being a Left Aristotelian, like the Left Hegelians, he developed a "Spirit", based on Nature, a sort of pantheistic "World Spirit", tendentially not only as  natura naturata, but latently also as  natura naturans. In another context, we could study this in more detail. This Supreme Being  a n d  Existence of Avicenna, very simplified, can be illustrated as follows:

For our purposes it is important to note, that his pantheistic philosophic system is based on the Aristotelian Doctrine of Form and Substance, and that it is a continuation of the illustration of the "dynamei on" category, of "Being-In-Possibility". Of course, he mentions the basic essence  a n d  the ontic existence of our Philosophy, but he defines it not as "Cosmos  a n d  Einai", but as a single Principle, as a divine "Einai", as God, who is  a n d  exists. He expounds that in his philosophic God, Essence and Existence coincides. In a Hegelian manner, he advocates a multiplication of Being as timeless Plotinian "emanations" of Itself, as a result of "Self-Knowledge".

The Canon of Medicine, which, for the time being, interests us less, was a systematic encyclopaedia based on the achievements of Greek physicians of the Age of the Roman Empire and on other Arabic medical works and on his own experience. Unfortunately, most of his own clinical notes were lost during his sojourn through the medieval Arab wilderness. Surely, William and Bill would have had fun reading them.

Karl: What happened to Avicenna, when he was released from jail, during his last two decades of life?

Coseino: Well, Karl, he escaped from jail, and he fled to Esfahan. There he associated himself with the Court of  'Ala' ad-Dawlah, another Arab ruler.

Karl: Did life then somehow become more bearable?

Coseino: Yes. Esfahan was a small city, hence the troubles were also minimal. Here, he spent his last 14 years, enjoying royal esteem. Peaceful and calm, here he completed his two major works, and  wrote most of his nearly 200 treatises, among them, the first work on Aristotelian philosophy, published in the Persian
language.

While accompanying the Prince, as personal physician, to the battlefields, he also completed his famous "Book Of Healing". Of interest to our mystics and existentialists, he also completed the description of the spiritual journey, from the past, from the beginnings of faith, across the current mystical experiences, to the future unio mistica, to the future, to the final direct and peaceful Platonic "Vision" of the Supreme Being  a n d  Existence. Accompanying his master to the battlefield, Avicenna fell ill, and despite his great physical strength and medical attempts to treat himself, he died, caused by colic and physical strain.

(A moment of dead silence suspends itself in the air of the aula magna. Then, Coseino takes a sip of cold water from a glass, which Patricia kindly hands over to him.)

Coseino: Thank you, Patricia. Time is running out! Let us now rapidly treat Averroës, the next Arab philosopher of intellectual and rational stature. Okay, let us see then, what this Mohammed has to offer us! - Indira, you are studying Medieval Arab Philosophy, please give me a little break, and tell us very briefly about the life of Averroës. Next time, we briefly will handle Avicebron.

Indira: With pleasure, Professor.

Mohammed Ibn ‘RuŠd  (or Rushd),  in Latin: Averroës, was probably the mightiest Arabian philosopher of the Middle Ages. He was born in 1126 in Córdoba, and died 1198 in Marrakech. Córdoba was then the most significant centre of the blossoming Moorish-Islamic Culture on Spanish ground. Ibn RuŠd was not only judge, but also the court physician and confidant of the Caliph Al Mansur. His interpretation and comments on the writings of his highly honoured master, Aristotle, whom he considered to have been the maximum possible and real incarnation of the human spirit, had later cost him dearly: the Islamic Orthodoxy burnt his writings and sent him into exile to Marrakech in 1195.

His contemporaries stated, that if Aristotle had explained Nature, Ibn RuŠd explained Aristotle, extending his Doctrine of Nature and highlighting it’s inherent materialist tendencies.

Coseino: Could you explain very existentially his central philosophic thoughts, especially related to our Philosophy?

Indira: No problem whatsoever, Professor!

For Ibn RuŠd, human intellect in it’s perfection had expressed itself in the specimen of Aristotle. However, wanting to comment the writings of Aristotle, he expanded them far beyond their limits. In his major work, destructio destructionis, Ibn RuŠd explains, how matter contains all "forms" as germs of life, and how motion is essentially an attribute of matter, not of the Aristotelian "entelechy". It is the revolving motion of the heaven, which lets the matter-immanent "forms" develop themselves. Thus, "Generatio nihil aliud est nisi converti res ab eo, quod est in potentia, ad actum" - each and every bringing forth of a thing is nothing but the turning of its potentiality into reality, which lies in the thing itself.

Karl: What then is "change", "motion" or "development" for Averroës?

Indira: Logically, development for Ibn RuŠd is "eductio formarum ex materia", the bringing forth of the forms out of matter, of active birth-giving matter. The creative power of natura naturans takes the place of the Aristotelian nous noeséos, the world creating god.

Coseino: Concerning our Seminar, its central theme, are there "seeds" of our Intellect  a n d  Reason, of our Einai-In- a n d  -For-Itself, in the Philosophy of Averroës?

Indira: Surely! Ibn RuŠd at best illustrates our concept of Intellect or Einai-in-itself,  when he emphatically states, that thought and thinking refer to an "essential reality", to essence. (Einai as Intellect refers to Cosmos). Thought and Thinking deal with Essence, which, for Ibn RuŠd, is "the everlasting", "the general", "the natural", "the cosmic", "the real", reality. The Intellect, as explained by Ibn RuŠd, is itself an "eternal essence", a statement which contradicted the then reigning religious imagination of individual immortality - to explain why and how, would go beyond the limits of what interests us here.

Albert: Has the above got to do with cognition, with spiritual cognition?

Indira: Yes, Albert, behind this observation stands the effort to clarify, what is spiritual cognition, what is intellect, explained independently from the Holy Scripture, be it the Koran, be it the Bible. What concerns religion, Ibn RuŠd considered, that Islam could be a companion of philosophy, but it should never be it’s master, and never obstruct the rational investigation of the world.

Jeanette: Like in our Philosophy, for Averroës, is Thinking or Thought doublefold?

Indira: Precisely, the Intellect is doublefold - active and passive. The active intellect, which always accompanies any act and action, takes influence on natural processes and things through its own "effect". As "receptive intellect", however, it is itself an eternal essence, like nature, like cosmos, and thus lies beyond individuality.

Ibn RuŠd realized, that by recognizing the cosmic reality via the intellect, matter is somehow being "spiritualized". This philosophical concern has to do with our problem of the "thing itself", and the thing reflected by our mind, the "thought-thing", which are two differnt things, different from each other. Ibn RuŠd, however, concluded in a non-materialistic way, that the world is the expression of a divine necessity.

These are basically the central elements of Ibn RuŠd's philosophy that directly concern our topic Essence  a n d  Existence.

(It is late. Some students begin to order their books. Another day of action  a n d  thinking ends. A strange atmosphere hangs in mid air,  fills the hall. Everywhere a mysterious excellence, a transcendental brilliance reflects itself, surpasses itself.)

Coseino: Next time, we will briefly deal with Avicebron, until then, please recover from Avicenna and Averroës! All brilliant things come to an excellent transcendence! Enjoy your week-end. Come back, safe and sane, soundful and wonderful!

(CONTINUATION)