The Connection of Intellect to Active Intellect in Avicenna's Philosophical Thought

Avicenna is an influential and great Muslim philosopher in Islam and West, whose theory on the connection of intellect to active intellect is one of the important components of his thought and has exerted influence on subsequent philosophers. This theory is one of the two important views discussed in epistemology and included in the framework of divine ontology and worldview. It is also an instance of one of the two macro-approaches to the relationship of world and man with principles (affirmative or negative relationship) and is included in affirmative group which does not neglect man. Asking what are the connection and condition of intellect and active intellect, the present paper reanalyzes this theory. The review of Avicenna’s philosophical thought shows that connection is soul’s attentiveness, directing toward, complete readiness and access to active intellect as well as soul’s traversing through the path of knowledge from sense to intellect and its connection with intellect in its particular sense. Then “illumination and emanation of intellectual- actual form” is actualized by active intellect and “perception and impression” are actualized by intellect “intellectually or as intellectual knowledge”. In this connection, intellect does not unite with active intellect.