The Subject Matter of Metaphysics: A Significant Disagreement Between al-Farabi and Ibn Sina on the Logical Form of Existence

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of Philosophy and Logic, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jitp.2024.377388.523511

Abstract

I argue that al-Farabi and Ibn Sina have a significant dispute regarding the analysis of the logical form of the subject matter of metaphysics: existence. al-Farabi asserts that "exist" has a disjunctive meaning, while Ibn Sina contends that it is a fundamental notion. I propose an explanation for this disagreement rooted in their differing views on the nature and structure of theoretical sciences. al-Farabi claims that theoretical sciences are mutually dependent, whereas Ibn Sina believes that higher-order sciences do not depend on lower-order ones, either in their subject matter or propositions. Based on these interpretations, I argue that the distinction between essence and existence poses a substantial problem within Ibn Sina’s framework, while it is considered trivial in al-Farabi’s metaphysics. This significant challenge in Ibn Sina’s thought elucidates the subsequent controversies in Islamic philosophy regarding this issue and the interpretation of Ibn Sina’s perspective. If my arguments hold, it suggests that Ibn Sina does not merely follow al-Farabi in metaphysics; rather, the evolution of Islamic philosophy marks a fundamental shift from al-Farabi to Ibn Sina

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