Elucidating a metaphysics of medicine is vital for framing a coherent medical ethics. In this paper, I examine the historical case of Avicenna, the eleventh century physician-philosopher. Avicenna radicalizes the dissective power of reason using a logicized Aristotelian metaphysics to clarify concepts at the metaphysical level, which I call his anatomy of being. One of the practical consequences of Avicenna’s metaphysics is a dehumanizing eschatology of death. I outline the main elements of Avicenna’s thought that constitute his anatomy of being. (...) Through an examination of his logic, metaphysics, and psychology, I show how Avicenna develops a dissective logic. I conclude that one’s epistemology, as a method of knowing, entails a metaphysics, and, in turn, results in an ethical stance to the object of knowledge. For Avicenna, mental dissective logic applied to humans results in dehumanization, thereby destroying the humanistic impulse of medicine. (shrink)

This paper studies the role of prophethood in building a civilisation with special reference to the writings of Al-Farabi and Said Nursi. In order to elucidate the thought of Al-Farabi, the ideas of Ibn Sina are consulted in some parts of the paper. The fi rst part of the paper defi nes the term “true civilisation”, its foundations and peculiarities from the viewpoints of these three Muslim scholars. I t suggests that, on one hand, a human being cannot achieve his (...) main goal, i.e. felicity, without living in a society, and, on the other, his most fundamental need is the need for religion, revealed by the prophets. Therefore, these three scholars argued that the real civilisation, which can make its citizens happy, satisfi ed and equal without any exception, originates from divine laws. As paper fi nds, Said Nursi articulated that the mission of the prophets, besides establishing of the worship to One God, also includes bringing of economic and political justice, social stability, ethical enhancement and emotional inspiration to his society, which are the fundamental requirements for the building of strong civilisations but beyond the power of an ordinary man. Based on the ideas of the scholars, the paper concludes that, according to the Muslim scholars, the prophets sent by God were the best law-givers and founders of the most excellent civilisations. (shrink)