The Cure
by Avicenna (Ibn Sina) · كتاب الشفاء
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 1020-1027
- Era
- Medieval
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Arabic
- Length
- Epic · 2000 ppover 700 pages
- Difficulty
- Formidable5 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendClassical Arabic Philosophy, An Anthology of Sources, translated by Jon McGinnis and David C. ReismanHackett, 2007The Soul and other key sections of The Cure in the anthology most courses use; the whole has never been translated into English.
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Avicenna's encyclopedia of philosophy, the largest work of its kind by a single author, in four parts covering logic, natural philosophy, mathematics and metaphysics. The section on the soul, part of the natural philosophy, argues for the soul's immateriality with the thought experiment of the flying man, who, suspended in air with no sensation, would still know that he exists. The metaphysics distinguishes essence from existence and proves a Necessary Existent. The book reached Latin Europe in the twelfth century and shaped Aquinas and the scholastics.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Cure are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
