A Critical Study of "Philosopher-Prophet in Political Philosophy of Ibn Sina" Article

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Ph. D. student of philosophy in Tehran University

Abstract

Most of authors on political ideas of Ibn Sina acknowledged implicitly that he lacked the political thought in modern sense in the field of politics and government of societies. James W. Morris among others in an article entitled “philosopher-prophet in political philosophy of Ibn Sina" has a different view on political philosophy of Avicenna which is in complete opposition with other important views on the subject.
Morris holds philosophers to be the only competent interpreters of prophetic heritage. in his view Avicenna holds no privileged and peculiar status for the Prophets at which other people cannot arrive. Faculty of estimation (cognitive faculty) and holy intellect are common to human species not reserved for the Prophets. The source of prophetic knowledge is familiar source for all. In order to promote the pursuit of philosophy and to show compatibility of reason and Scripture Ibn Sina was compelled to keep silence on political problems and thus his words on politics are not truly believed by him. Ibn Sina as Morris presented believes that political authority is reserved for philosophers and accordingly gives a fundamental role to philosophy. This article is to summarize the main content of Morris thought under five topics and concludes each with critical examination.

Keywords