Philosophy and Kalam

Philosophy and Kalam

Path and Shortcut A Metaphorical Network Analysis of “Perception” in Avicenna’s Al-Qasida al-Ayniyyah

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 PhD Student, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, School of Humanities, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Studies, School of Humanities, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, School of Humanities, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jitp.2026.407782.523682
Abstract
TheʿAyniyyah poem attributed to Avicenna has traditionally been interpreted within an ontological framework, emphasizing the soul’s descent. This study offers an epistemological reading by examining the role of its metaphorical language in representing the cognitive process in Avicenna’s philosophy. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Image Schema Theory, the study analyzes the poem alongside Avicenna’s epistemological writings, specifically focusing on verses eleven and eighteen. The findings indicate that the poem’s conceptual structure is organized around the overarching metaphor “Cognition is motion” This metaphor is elaborated through the image schemas of “path” and “shortcut”, representing discursive reasoning and immediate cognition (ḥads), respectively. The analysis demonstrates that the poem’s central metaphors are consistent with the hierarchy of cognition in Avicenna’s philosophy, depicting the soul’s epistemic transformation from the “veiled eye” to the “seeing eye.” Consequently, the poem provides a coherent representation of the cognitive process in Avicenna’s philosophy.
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