Medieval scholars and writers from the Muslim East were known in Europe by short names or nicknames. So the Persian Avicenna is no exception. His real name in abbreviated form can be given as Ibn Sina.
Childhood
The future scientist was born in 980, near Bukhara, in Central Asia. From early childhood, the child was distinguished by intelligence and quick wit. By ten years, the Koran knew perfectly. In the Bukhara school, he first studied legislation, and later - philosophy, logic and geometry. This was the heyday of Muslim science. Eastern scholars are several steps ahead of European medieval monks. One of them - Abu Abdallah Natili - took up the training of a promising teenager.
Avicenna, whose biography was subsequently marked by numerous independent discoveries, quickly left the tutelage of mentors and began to study alone. Aristotle’s book Metaphysics had a great influence on the 16-year-old.
Philosophical views
Many of the principles laid down by the ancient Greek philosopher in his writings became a guide for the Persian follower. In his research, he was not alone. Similar views were shared by Al-Kindi, Ibn Rushd and Al-Farabi. This school was called "Eastern Aristotelianism." Avicenna, whose biography is full of various discoveries, has become her key supporter.
In his works, a strict presentation style, subordinate to logic, is traced. In Muslim theology, he received the name "acl." According to the views of Avicenna, Allah was the eternal engine of ideas and forms. He also criticized anthropomorphism. An important principle of Eastern Aristotelianism was the geocentric system of the world. According to her, the Earth was the heart of the universe, and all other celestial bodies revolved around her.
In Bukhara
Young Ibn Sina became a doctor of the Bukhara emir due to his deep knowledge in medicine. In addition, he gained access to all then known literary works on this subject. The young scientist talked a lot with local Turkic residents, thanks to which he mastered this language. However, his service ended after the Turkic tribes captured Bukhara and overthrew the Samanid dynasty that ruled then. It happened in the year 1002.
In Khorezm
After that, Avicenna, whose biography as a scientist had just begun, went to the city of Urgench. It was the center of Khorezm - a rich and important region. Here, the philosopher and doctor continued to hone their education. He received an important task - to compile a code of laws for the united state of Khorezm. He managed to cope with his task. A young vezir, as well as a shah, closely watched the young courtier.
Avicenna had to deal with the inertia and servility of the local councilors. They lived according to the Qur'an and sharply resisted any innovations in the life of Khorezm. The young scientist had to engage in long disputes and disputes with the elders who did not want to hear about any reforms. Only thanks to the pressure of youth and the help of the Shah, Ibn Sina was able to push through his project, having gained wide recognition not only in Khorezm, but also outside it.
However, when Mahmoud Gaznevi came to power in 1008, Avicenna refused to serve at his court. This led to his expulsion and long wanderings.
Last years
In the end, the scientist arrived in the Persian city of Hamadan, where he lived for about 10 years. He managed to cure the local emir, for which he received the title of vizier. Because of this, the philosopher often clashed with various parties at the court of the ruler and the military. It was in Hamadan that he took up politics and began to work in the public service.
The most fruitful years from the point of view of doing science fell on the life of Ibn Sina in Isfana. The local emir provided him with all the conditions for productive activities. It was here that Avicenna, whose biography is known for numerous wanderings and travels, found peace and began to compose his main books. Some of them died during the invasion of enemy troops. Nevertheless, the legacy of the Persian writer has survived to a large extent. It consists of many treatises on medicine, chemistry, astronomy, mechanics.
Avicenna died in 1037, after having been ill with a stomach illness. His ashes were placed in the mausoleum of Isfahan, where the local emirs also found the last peace.
Medical work
Avicenna’s biography is best known for its encyclopedic reference “The Canon of Medicine.” According to it, Arab and Persian doctors studied until the XVII century. The work was divided by the author into five books.
The first of them is devoted to the theory of medicine. The writer examined the concepts of diseases, as well as the causes of their appearance. He identified the symptoms of such terrible diseases as cholera, plague, smallpox and leprosy. Subsequent books talk about a variety of simple medicines, including plants.
Medical research, which is full of Avicenna’s biography, also allowed him to write and publish various treatises on a wide range of issues. They concerned a healthy lifestyle, heart diseases, pulse, blood vessels, proper nutrition, etc. The doctor promoted various physical exercises, which, in his opinion, should prolong a person's life.
The studies of Ibn Sina covered not only the physical, but also the psychological state of a person. The doctor in his works described four types of character - hot, cold, wet and dry. This classification is largely consistent with the European, where there is the temperament of choleric, phlegmatic, etc.
Avicenna also described the complex human nature. According to his theory, the character depended on what kind of fluid prevailed in the body - blood, mucus or bile.
The diverse activities of the scientist have always attracted researchers to such a figure as Avicenna. Biography, photos of his written works and vivid adventures often fall into a variety of textbooks.
Philologist and music theorist
The Persian scientist Avicenna, whose biography is known to every compatriot, often wrote his scientific works and publications in the form of poetic poems. This style was popular in the Muslim East. Interestingly, the scientist was also fond of music. He wrote several works on the theory of composition. He attributed music to mathematical science and spoke in his writings about the laws governing the construction of musical works.
The instruments known then were described and classified in one of the books, the author of which was Avicenna. The scientist (the biography of the Persian allowed him to attend many official events where concerts were held) laid the foundations of music science. At home, it was not widespread, but in Europe in modern times rethought the numerous findings of a medieval scholar. Various theorists were then interested in Avicenna's biography. In short, his works became the foundation for the musical theory of modernity.