Alfarabi, Avicenna, and Averroes, on Intellect

Medieval Islamic, Jewish and Christian philosophers of the 16th century considered the distinction between the potential and the active intellect as a key to deciphering the nature of man and the universe. This study examines the manner in which three specific philosophers dealt with the issue.

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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.