Conceptual Metaphors of ‘Knowledge by Presence’ in Avicennian Philosophy

Contemporary theories in cognitive semantics suggest that humans utilize conceptual metaphors, either consciously or subconsciously, to distill complex mental constructs into simpler forms. Philosophers, in particular, have extensively employed conceptual metaphors to render abstract philosophical notions comprehensible. This study delves into the application of conceptual metaphors in elucidating ‘knowledge by presence’ within Avicenna’s philosophy. Ibn Sinā employed these metaphors to articulate and streamline the concept of ‘knowledge by presence.’ He posits that such knowledge is actualized when the object of knowledge is directly present to the knower, that is, the soul. However, he asserts that mere presence is not the sole requisite for attaining knowledge; rather, conditions conducive to vision and illumination must also be met for presence to culminate in knowledge acquisition. Interpreting his discourse yields two metaphors: ‘knowledge by presence as seeing’ and ‘knowledge by presence as illumination.’ The ‘seeing’ metaphor hinges on three critical elements: the observer, the observed, and their interrelation. Conversely, the ‘illumination’ metaphor involves two key elements: the source of illumination and the object being illuminated. This article endeavors to explore the conceptual metaphors associated with ‘knowledge by presence’ in Avicennian philosophy through an exploratory approach, deliberately eschewing any hypothesis formulation.