NEOPLATONIC SYNTHESIS AND THE METAPHYSICS OF BEING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEMS OF AL-FARABI AND IBN SINA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19982169Keywords:
Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Neoplatonism, emanation, metaphysics, essence and existence, active intellect, virtuous city, Eastern Peripateticism.Abstract
The article presents a comparative analysis of the philosophical views of two central representatives of Eastern Peripateticism — Al-Farabi (870–950) and Ibn Sina (980–1037). Their approaches to key metaphysical problems are examined, including the relationship between essence and existence, emanational cosmology, the theory of intellect, and political philosophy. It is shown that, while sharing a common Neoplatonic paradigm, the thinkers demonstrate fundamental differences: Al-Farabi appears as a systematizer and commentator oriented toward harmonizing Plato, Aristotle, and Islamic revelation, whereas Ibn Sina develops an original metaphysics of necessary being, offering an innovative solution to the problem of universals and the ontological status of existence. Special attention is given to the influence of their ideas on subsequent philosophical traditions, including Latin scholasticism and Islamic theology.
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