Avicenna Rough Draft
“I would rather have a short life with width rather than a narrow one with length.” These and many other words are said by Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusain ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Sīnā or in simply Latin, Avicenna (Afnan ). While many people remember polymaths such as Francis Bacon or Leonardo da Vinci many Islamic polymaths are not recognized including Avicenna. His impact on the medical field, philosophy, physics, and astronomy truly deserves recognition and the reasons are far many. -------------------
Avicenna was born in August 980 in the area now known as Uzbekistan in a village called Kharmaithan. Some time later he and his father moved to Bukhara, the capital of the Samanid Empire. There he learned from his father and self taught himself the mysteries of the universe. He was definitely a gifted child because, “By the age of ten he had memorized the Qur'an and most of the Arabic poetry which he had read. When ibn Sina reached the age of thirteen he began to study medicine and he had mastered that subject by the age of sixteen when he began to treat patients. He also studied logic and metaphysics, receiving instruction from some of the best teachers of his day, but in all areas he continued his studies on his own.” (University of St. Andrews). Avicenna even cured the Sultan of a disease, which gained him access to the Loyal Library of the Samanids, which skyrocketed his intelligence and introduced him to many new subjects. At the age of 21 Avicenna began writing books such as on ethics, al-Birr wa al-Ithm (Good Work and Evil) and comprehensiveness, Majmu, (Compendium) which he never made copies of. His life immediately changed when his father died near 1000 A.D. and so in order to make money of hi...
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...were revolutionary and still hold true today. His impact on society today goes from his celebrity status in Iran to the Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicines and Sciences in Aligarh, India, Avicenna School in Karachi, Pakistan, moon crater, and a plant genius called Avicennia. This Renaissance man sacrificed a lot of time to write his many books. He sacrificed a lot of time to gain a vast amount of knowledge from Aristotle to cadavers. “Ibn Sina sought to integrate all aspects of science and religion in a grand metaphysical vision. With this vision he attempted to explain the formation of the universe as well as to elucidate the problems of evil, prayer, providence, prophecies, miracles, and marvels. Also within its scope fall problems relating to the organization of the state in accord with religious law and the question of the ultimate destiny of man” (Iskander).
The book Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston explores many subjects and ideas, including our universal concept of power, our theme of justice, and events happening during World War II. Throughout the book I learned many things I did not know that have really benefited towords the way I think. From reading this book I have gained a new knowledge of this time in history and what it might mean to teenage Americans today.
Religion was an important part to the medieval society and the development of medieval synthesis. An important person that contributed to this was Saint Thomas Aquinas between 1225-1274. His “Summa Theologica” was an important element that influenced the synthesis. The Summa Theologica simply means theological summary. His idea presents the highest example of the medieval synthesis of faith and reason. The summary included the proof of existence of God and man. It described the relationship between the two and how a man’s reconciliation with the Divine is possible through Christ. This shows that Aquinas believed the cosmological argument that shows proofs for the existence of God and its reason. Aquinas Summa Theologica also described the nature and purpose of human being. He devoted his attention to the nature of God and its role that show relationship between God and man. Aquinas tried to explain the origin and purpose of the universe. He also tried to show the different roles that live in the universe and their purpose. Aquinas never doubts...
Throughout the 1980’s, the graffiti scene was very familiar with the name “Basquiat.” Jean-Michel Basquiat is an American graffiti artist who was born in Brooklyn, New York. His artwork is mostly defined as neo-expressionism with a bit of primitivism. His medium was usually a combination of oils, acrylics and spray cans. One could look at Basquiat’s pieces and say they are as if a child scribbled on a canvas, but to me, there is more than that. I admire Basquiat not for what he is, but for what he is not. I believe it requires a lot of bravery to showcase your art that is less than perfect as in the social standards for fine art. Basquiat did just that and was still well respected for it. I feel as if he conquered in keeping his childhood creativity
Aquinas made an enormous effort to make logic and religion work together, ultimately choosing to drop his logical writing and commit himself to pursuing salvation. Aquinas’s efforts to link logic and his religion parallel today’s continued efforts to force religion into the sciences or to attempt the reverse. But his struggle also acted as a direct view into medieval western Christian culture; the western Christians repeatedly encountered problems in the academic realm with fitting Christianity and higher thinking together which, would occur for far longer than Aquinas’s time. But, if one looks at the struggle in less educated groups it mirrors Aquinas’s except, rather than fitting logic and religion together there is an effort to combine religions or religion and superstition together. Second to Aquinas as an example for religion’s effect was what I discovered whilst researching my presentation topic. I had been under the impression that, as in modern times, the medical focus would be anatomical or chemical. However, as most aspects of medieval culture are, the world of medicine was focused on the spirit. This spiritual focus remained through the middle ages and was catered to by humourism, astrology, and Christianity. While medicine’s focus did indeed limit it in some ways on a physical level, there were still great
With the passing of the notable ancient Greek greats, a new era in philosophy emerged. The Medieval period fostered an outburst of Islamic culture and thought, with many significant philosophers leading the way. Amongst these was Averroes, who thrived during the early 12th century. His many areas of interest allowed him to be a very learned and experienced individual, enabling him to produce many publications elaborating his thoughts. One of these publications is The Decisive Treatise, in which he discusses the role that philosophy plays in religion and how that impacts society. According to Averroes, in The Decisive Treatise, philosophy is a required part of religion that provides educated individuals with a deeper understanding of sacred texts.
I will discuss the issue of society versus the individual in The Importance of Being Earnest and Siddhartha. Both texts contain the same message; everyone is and always will be an individual, people learn and grow through mistakes and experiences based on individual decision; conforming to a societal ideal will not satisfy any individual in reaching the good life. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha reaches enlightenment following his inner voice through struggles, evolving into an enlightened individual. Contrarily, In The Importance of Being Earnest, John Worthing conforms to societal expectations and remains a superficial character.
When one thinks of meditation, what comes to mind? Does one think of group of 1970’s hippies sitting in a circle singing about peace? How about relaxing music being played? How about trying to form one’s body into a pretzel-like shape? What if meditation has nothing to do with the background music being played or what position one’s body is in? Meditation is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the act or process of spending time in quiet thought” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meditation). Meditation is just simply sitting in a quiet room and thinking about one’s life. The act of meditating is much simpler than many people think. Through deep concentration and relaxation, meditation becomes an altered state of consciousness.
Singer details modernity as “post-sacred” (Singer 24), exempting modern society from belief systems psychologically tied to mankind for millennia. While Western countries may be treading down a post-sacred path for now, the path is riddled with foot prints of countries past that go both directions. Singer believes “Modernity…denotes the rise of secularism and a…deflation of the influence of religious… mythologies” (Singer 24). It cannot be described so simply. Previously modern and developed countries have fallen in and then out of secularity. For example, 400 years before Christ, the Chinese philosopher Mo Zi levied secular thought against the reigning ideology of Confucianism. Mo Zi proposed secular ideas congruent with those of the scientific method and even Newton’s laws of motion (REFERENCE). Maybe Mo Zi needed an apple to the head if he truly wanted his science to be heard. The political takeover of the Qin dynasty and legalist philosophy put a stop to such free scientific and secular thought. In a similar vein, a first century Islamic scholar named Ibn al-Haytham once said “The duty of the man who investigates the writings of scientists... is to make himself an enemy of all that he reads” (REFERENCE). This rings a similar bell as the modern scientific method. Famous science educator Neil Degrasse Tyson has even said that “The reawakening to science that took place in Europe in
The word “Vajrayana” comes from the Sanskrit word vajra, which refers to, the indestructible thunderbolt made by the god of weather and war, Indra. Vajra also translates to diamond to represent its unbreakable strength. Vajrayana Buddhism is thus also referred to as the Diamond Vehicle, the Indestructible Path of Buddhism, the Thunderbolt Vehicle, and many other names.
Rarely throughout history, certain people rise above the rest of humanity and are frozen in time. Geniuses in many subjects prove themselves to be cut above the rest, and put their mark on mankind’s advancement. Inventors, mathematicians, artists, each with their own trademark that leaves us in wonder over their work, studied even to this day. Even rarer, are those who can do everything in such a manner, someone who can paint brilliantly, solve complex arithmetic, and invent glorious inventions. One of the very few of these enlightened individuals, is Leonardo Da Vinci, a man who will forever be considered one of the brightest intellectuals in history. His mastery of painting shows with works such as the Mona Lisa, and The Last Supper. His notebooks, with drawings and notes of human anatomy, shows a level of understanding far beyond most, and his inventions that, if built, would have revolutionized how wars were fought.
Al Ghazali a significant person in Islam has helped shape Islam to be what it is today - a living religious tradition for the lives of its adherents. His contribution to Islam though his theories, knowledge and works have left a positive impact upon the Islamic world that continues into the present. An everlasting impact upon the faith, Muslims and the expansion of Islam to be one of the most popular religious traditions in the present world for the lives of its adherents is seen as Al Ghazali’s
Abu Al-Walid Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Rushd, known in Latin as Averroes, was one of the most influential Islamic philosophers and scientist. He lived in a time where Philosophy was not celebrated in the Islamic world, and philosophers were regarded as unbelievers. He, however, revived the Aristotelian philosophy stressing that it has no conflict with the belief in God, and that was the theme he used throughout his writings. He integrated religion and philosophy challenging the anti-philosophical view of the Muslim scholars at that point. That influenced a group of western scholars who used the same examination and identified themselves as the “Averroists.”
Their love of knowledge spawned libraries and schools. In fact the Al-Hakem II the son and successor of Abd al-Raman I “built one of the greatest libraries in the Islamic world in Cordoba, rivaling those at Baghdad and Cairo.”15 The great love of knowledge that thrived in Al Andalus was vast and attracted scholars throughout Europe. Al-Hakem even made twenty-seven free schools that drew in even more scholars from Muslims to Christians to Jews. At a point the Maghreb historian al-Maqqari states that there are four things that made Al Andalus great and out of the four the knowledge was the greatest. 16
During the fourteenth century, the Renaissance was notable for its development from medieval life and values dominated by the Church toward the abstract ethics of civilization. Instead of the perception stressed by religion that emphasized preparation for the after life, the enlightened citizens of the middle class, became interested in individuals success and emphasized life in this world, rather than the afterlife in which the Catholic church emphasized. This encouraged individuals to surmount in a wide variety of grounds portraying their knowledge because of their strong beliefs in all aspects ranging from art, politics, and personal life. Renaissance thinkers were inspired by the ancient Greeks and Romans instead of medieval life because it was portrayed as undeveloped. The textbook a History in The Making discusses these changes and writes, “A new understanding of the motions of heavens and of mechanic on the earth developed among experimenters in natural philosophy, that is, what came to be called science” (484). This portrayed how the scientific revolution changed and impacted attitudes within Europe in regards to Science and knowledge. The Secularization tainted the traditional scientific method of truth and search for non religious foundations, emphasizing the new doors that had been opened for this
Birth and death in the Arab culture has being one of the most interesting topics that is being discussed more frequently. When people talk or hear about the Arab culture they tend to think about different things about them like they are being considered as terrorist, they oppress their women and many things like that. But we tend to forget that this people, the Arabs are also human beings that they have normal day-to-day activities like people in the other part of the so-called westernized world.