Examining the Power of Memory from the Points of View of Aristotle and Ibn Sina

The discussion of the soul and its powers has always been a concern of philosophers. One of these powers is the memory, in the interpretation of which Aristotle and Ibn Sina have chosen two separate paths. Ibn Sina considers memory to be the treasure trove of illusions. In contrast, Aristotle does not mention the power of illusion. Hence, he does not discuss its treasure trove and according to his explanations, he almost equates memory with imagination. In this article, we seek to examine the views of Ibn Sina and Aristotle on the function of memory to show the differences and similarities between the two philosophers. Naturally, we will also determine the extent to which Ibn Sina is affected by Aristotle on the issue of memory. The type of this study is the historiography of thought, extracting opinions from different sources, comparing and critically examining them. The conclusion is briefly that Ibn Sina was influenced by Aristotle in most matters of the soul, but his interpretation of memory differs fundamentally from that of Aristotle. In his interpretation of memory, Aristotle pays special attention to remembrance and the element of time in the formation of memory, but Ibn Sina does not mention the role of time and remembrance.