IBN SĪNĀ’S PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE: AN OUTLINE

Syamsuddin Arif

ABSTRACT

Ibn Sīnā, or Avicenna as he was known in the Latin West, is one of the most influential thinkers both in the Muslim world and in medieval Europe. This article examines some aspects of his thought on science, its logic and epistemology as well as its hierarchy and methodology. It is argued that Ibn Sīnā’s philosophy of science is a kind of synthesis that draws upon many sources, mainly Aristotelianism and Neoplatonism. A major part of his contribution, however, lies in putting the pieces together in a manner quite different from his precursors, and in offering new arguments to clarify and justify his positions.