Avicenna (Ibn Sina)
A polymath whose 'The Canon of Medicine' was a standard medical text for centuries and integrated Greek and Indian medical traditions.
Most quoted
"Now it is established in the sciences that no knowledge is acquired save through the study of its causes and beginnings, if it has had causes and beginnings; nor completed except by knowledge of its accidents and accompanying essentials."
— from The Canon of Medicine
"Medicine is a science from which one learns the states of the human body in health and disease, in order to preserve health when it exists and restore it when it has been lost."
— from The Canon of Medicine (Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb)
"The more you study, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you forget. The more you forget, the less you know. So why study?"
— from Attributed, often as a humorous paradox
All quotes by Avicenna (Ibn Sina) (356)
Experimentation and observation are essential for the advancement of medical knowledge.
The soul is not located in any particular organ, but permeates the entire body.
The intellect is distinct from the soul, and is capable of independent existence.
The Active Intellect is the source of all knowledge and illumination for human intellects.
The world is a necessary emanation from God, and not a result of His arbitrary will.
The individual soul is immortal and will return to its origin after death.
The purpose of philosophy is to understand the true nature of reality and our place within it.
Logic is the instrument of all sciences, and without it, no true knowledge can be attained.
Mathematics is the language of the universe, and its study leads to a deeper understanding of reality.
The human will is free, but it is also influenced by external factors and internal dispositions.
Happiness is the ultimate goal of human life, and it is achieved through intellectual and moral perfection.
The mind has a profound influence on the body, and emotional states can cause or cure illness.
The study of anatomy is crucial for understanding the functions of the human body.
Pharmacology should be based on empirical observation and careful experimentation.
Surgery is a necessary evil, to be employed only when other treatments have failed.
The physician must be compassionate and empathetic towards their patients.
The pursuit of knowledge is a sacred duty, and ignorance is a disease of the soul.
The world is not a collection of isolated events, but a coherent and interconnected whole.
The human being is a bridge between the material and the spiritual worlds.
True knowledge is not merely accumulation of facts, but understanding of causes and principles.
Contemporaries of Avicenna (Ibn Sina)
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Avicenna (Ibn Sina) (980–1037).