Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Medicine Persian 980 – 1037 391 quotes

Canon of Medicine was standard text for centuries

Quotes by Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

The physician should treat the patient, not just the disease, taking into account their individual constitution and circumstances.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The soul is the primary mover of the body, and its health is essential for the body's well-being.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The intellect is the noblest part of the human being, and its cultivation is paramount for human flourishing.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)

The world is a continuous chain of cause and effect, and nothing happens without a reason.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)

The ultimate goal of medicine is to preserve health and prolong life, not merely to cure disease.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The human will is free, but it is also influenced by external factors and internal dispositions.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)

The universe is ordered and rational, and its laws can be discovered through reason and observation.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)

The physician must be a keen observer, paying attention to every detail of the patient's condition.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The soul's journey after death is determined by its actions and intellectual development during life.

Risala fi al-Nafs (Treatise on the Soul)

The true nature of things is intelligible, not merely sensible, and can be grasped by the intellect.

Kitab al-Najat (The Book of Salvation)

The physician should strive to prevent disease rather than just treating it.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The universe is a hierarchy of being, with God at the apex and matter at the base.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)

The human being is a composite of body and soul, and both must be cared for to achieve well-being.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The intellect is capable of abstracting universal concepts from particular sensory experiences.

Kitab al-Najat (The Book of Salvation)

The physician should be compassionate and empathetic towards their patients.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The world is not created out of nothing, but is an eternal emanation from the First Cause.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)

The soul is a simple, indivisible substance, not composed of parts.

Risala fi al-Nafs (Treatise on the Soul)

The physician should have a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology.

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine)

The ultimate truth is accessible through intellectual intuition, not solely through logical deduction.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)

The human being has a natural inclination towards good and truth.

Kitab al-Shifa (The Book of Healing)