Persian scientist Avicenna: biography, poetry, works on medicine

Medieval scholars and writers from the Muslim East were known in Europe for short names or nicknames. And the Persian Avicenna is no exception. His real name in a shortened version can be cited as Ibn Sina.

Childhood

The future scientist was born in 980, not far from Bukhara, in Central Asia. From the earliest childhood, the child was distinguished by intelligence and ingenuity. By the age of ten, he knew the Koran well. In Bukhara school, he first studied legislation, and later - philosophy, logic and geometry. This was the era of the heyday of Muslim science. Eastern scholars were several steps ahead of the 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 care of mentors and began to study alone. A great influence on the 16-year-old boy was provided by Aristotle's book Metaphysics.

Philosophical views

Many principles, laid down by the ancient Greek philosopher in his writings, have become 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 "Oriental Aristotelianism". Avicenna, whose biography is full of various discoveries, became her key supporter.

In his works there is a strict style of presentation, subordinate to logic. In Muslim theology, it was called "akl". According to Avicenna's views, 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 the doctor of the Bukhara emir because of his deep knowledge in medicine. In addition, he received access to all the then known literary works on this topic. The young scientist communicated a lot with local Turkic inhabitants, due to which he mastered this language. However, his service ended when the Turkic tribes captured Bukhara and overthrew the then-ruling Samanid dynasty. This happened in 1002.

In Khorezm

After this, 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 sharpen his education. He received an important task - to compile a code of laws for the unified state of Khorezm. He managed to cope with his task. The young waiter was closely watched by the Wazir, as well as the Shah.

Avicenna had to face the inertia and servility of local scribes from the state council. They lived according to the Koran and strongly resisted any innovations in the life of Khorezm. The young scientist had to lead long disputes and disputes with 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, gaining wide recognition not only in Khorezm, but also beyond.

However, when Mahmoud Ghaznavi 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 the 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 civil service.

The most fruitful years from the point of view of studying science fell to the life of Ibn Sina in Isfana. The local Emir gave him all the conditions for productive work. It was here that Avicenna, whose biography is known for numerous wanderings and travels, found peace and started composing his main books. Some of them died during the invasion of enemy troops. Nevertheless, the legacy of the Persian writer reached our time in large volumes. It consists of many treatises on medicine, chemistry, astronomy, mechanics.

Avicenna died in 1037, after he had a stomach illness. His ashes were placed in the mausoleum of Isfahan, where the local emirs also found the last rest.

Medical work

Biography of Avicenna is best known for his encyclopaedic reference book "The Canon of Medical Science". On 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 disease, as well as the reasons for their appearance. He identified the symptoms of such terrible diseases as cholera, plague, smallpox and leprosy. The following books tell about various simple medicines, including plants.

Medical research, which is full of the biography of Avicenna, also allowed him to write and publish various treatises on the widest range of issues. They concerned a healthy lifestyle, heart disease, pulse, blood vessels, proper nutrition, etc. The doctor advocated various physical exercises, which, in his opinion, were supposed to prolong a person's life.

Ibn Sina's studies covered not only the physical, but also the psychological state of a person. The doctor in his works described four kinds of character - hot, cold, wet and dry. This classification largely corresponds to the European, where there is a temperament choleric, phlegmatic, etc.

Also Avicenna described the complex human nature. According to his theory, the character depended on which fluid prevailed in the body - blood, mucus or bile.

The diverse activities of the scientist have always attracted researchers to a figure such as Avicenna. Biography, a photo of his written works and bright adventures often fall into a variety of textbooks.

Philologist and music theorist

The Persian scholar Avicenna, whose biography is known to every compatriot, often wrote his scientific works and publications in the form of verse poems. This style was popular in the Muslim East. It is interesting that the scientist was also fond of music. His pen belongs to 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.

Known then tools were described and classified in one of the books, the author of which was Avicenna. The scientist (biography of the Persian allowed him to visit many official events, where concerts were held) laid the foundations of musical science. At home, it did not spread, but in Europe in the New Times, many researches of a medieval researcher were rethought. Different theorists were then interested in the biography of Avicenna. In short, his writings became the foundation for the musical theory of modern times.