When and where was Avicenna born?
Avicenna was born in 980 in the village of Afshana near Bukhara. He was a Persian whose father served as an administrator for the Samanid Empire.
Common questions about Avicenna
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What did Avicenna write while imprisoned in the fortress of Fardajan?
Avicenna wrote The Book of Healing while imprisoned in the fortress of Fardajan near Hamadan. He completed the text at a rate of fifty pages a day during his four months of confinement.
How long was the Canon of Medicine used as a standard medical textbook?
The Canon of Medicine remained the standard medical textbook in Europe and the Islamic world for over six centuries. It was used in European universities like Montpellier and Leuven until 1650.
What is the Floating Man argument proposed by Avicenna?
Avicenna devised the Floating Man thought experiment to prove that the soul is an immaterial substance independent of the body. He argued that a person suspended in air without sensory input would still possess self-awareness.
Who criticized Avicenna's views on prophecy and the nature of the soul?
Scholars like al-Ghazali and Ibn Taymiyya criticized Avicenna's views on prophecy and the nature of the soul. They viewed his ideas as a threat to orthodox Islamic belief.