Save

Sufi Vocabulary, but Avicennan Philosophy

The Sufi Terminology in Chapters VIIIX of Ibn Sīnā’s al-Išārāt wa-l-tanbīhāt

In: Oriens
Author:
Michael A. Rapoport Connecticut College

Search for other papers by Michael A. Rapoport in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
View More View Less
Download Citation Get Permissions

Access options

Get access to the full article by using one of the access options below.

Institutional Login

Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials

Login via Institution

Purchase

Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

$34.95

Abstract

In the more than 125 years since A.F. Mehren included Chapters VIIIX of al-Išārāt wa-l-tanbīhāt in his anthology of Ibn Sīnā’s allegedly mystical treatises, scholars have used the presence of Sufi vocabulary in these chapters as evidence of Ibn Sīnā’s mysticism. Yet, his use of Sufi terminology has received little dedicated, critical study. Through careful philological analysis, this study demonstrates that even though Ibn Sīnā appropriated technical vocabulary from Sufism, the meanings that he applied to those terms agree with his philosophical system. His use of these terms is not evidence of experimentation with a mystical, suprarational method of cognition.

Content Metrics

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 746 128 19
Full Text Views 113 11 1
PDF Views & Downloads 161 27 2