Resolving the Ambiguities of Aristotle’s Active Intellect: Avicenna’s Philosophical Innovations

This paper provides a comparative analysis of Aristotle's and Avicenna's conceptions of the Active Intellect, focusing on their respective philosophical priorities and methodologies. Aristotle’s account, presented in De Anima, portrays the Active Intellect as a crucial yet ambiguous element in the abstraction of universal forms, leaving unresolved tensions regarding its nature and function. Avicenna critiques and reformulates this concept within his metaphysical framework, employing the principle of emanation and distinguishing between essence and existence. By situating the Active Intellect as an intermediary between the divine and human intellects, Avicenna addresses key ambiguities in Aristotle’s theory while offering a systematic account that integrates metaphysics, epistemology, and theology. This study highlights Avicenna’s innovative contributions to Islamic philosophy and his influence on subsequent intellectual traditions, emphasizing the enduring significance of his reinterpretation in bridging reason and revelation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Active Intellect ، Aristotle ، Avicenna ، Emanation ، Metaphysics ، Epistemology