Alfarabi Avicenna And Averroes On Intellect

This book examines the treatment of intellect in three medieval Islamic, Jewish, and Christian philosophers: Alfarabi, Avicenna, and Averroes. Davidson focuses on the active intellect, which is a topic of debate among these thinkers. He argues that the distinction between the potential and active intellect is a key to understanding the nature of man and the universe.

The distinction between the potential intellect and the active intellect was first drawn by Aristotle. Medieval Islamic, Jewish, Christian philosophers, and European philosophers in the sixteenth century considered it a possible key to deciphering the nature of man and the universe. In this book, Herbert Davidson examines the treatment of intellect in Alfarabi (d. 950), Avicenna (980-1037) and Averroes (1126-1198), with particular attention to the way in which they addressed the tangle of issues that grew up around the active intellect. Review: 'one of the most impressive scholarly books that I have seen in a long time. It is informed, erudite, well researched, and well structured ... the work of a mature, accomplished, thoughtful, and judicious scholar.' Arthur Hyman, Yeshiva University Davidson organizes his book in an extremely lucid, even schematic way. ... a wonderfully lucid guide to the Aristotelian tradition on intellect in the Middle Ages. The Jewish Quarterly Review, nos.3-4, January-April 1996