Understanding the Logic of Avicenna
Each brain has the power to process the data on basis of the level quality of intelligence. But it does not guarantee any success of doing syllogism. Though the quality is good, but it is not used maximally, it will affect the power of the one’s mind set.
We know well who Avicenna is; he gave any rebuttal of western’s logic that always negates the belief in the creator. Therefore, he divided the knowledge into two parts: theory and practice. Both has the own goal in developing and perfecting the soul. In practice level, action of soul perfecting must appropriate with the understanding of what have to do in accordance with the knowledge. Meanwhile, in theory it prefers to perfect the soul only through the knowledge. It is because of the characteristic of Avicenna’s philosophy which is to justify the religious principle which the practice is on basis of sharia and the complete explanation is based on the sense.
Case in point, we often hear that reading surah Yaasin, al-Mulk, and al-Waqi’ah, is considered as the irrational and meaningless activity. That syllogism was stated by someone who just uses the sense perception, like the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Kant said that the validity and the rationality of thought are based on the sense (reason). Sense only accepts concrete thing, it is like the religion which considers everything has meaning and benefits.
Nine logic propositions offered by Avicenna is part of a new imaging within the realm of thought as well as a kind of resistance to rationalist philosophies. The nine points are sensible, experiential or observation, based on unanimous tradition, received, estimative, widespread, presumed, imagined, and primary.
Sensible or expedient is in the first position of the chain of human thought. This is due to the reason of Avicenna who considered that something exist is the thing which observably seen the benefit as well as the human senses will automatically say that it is the better one. For sensible the activity of reading surah above is something legal based on Sharia. It is also accepted by the next points; experiential or observation, and received.
Received means as a teacher who stimulates the sense in order to be able to think by using the appropriate referral instructions. It is like when we have Ustadz or Kyai stating that deeds such as yasinan and tahlil, are the proof of our efforts to be closer to God. Indeed, whether it is aware of or not, the logic of Avicenna seems like faith (tauhid).
The soul has a characteristic which if any other element supported an opinion, it would support it. Therefore, Avicenna divided the soul into two kinds; the physical and the metaphysical. The first is divided into three parts; the soul of plants, the soul of animal, and the soul of human being, while the second is two parts; inside of the material and not, there is God between the parts as the separated element of the material.
Such materials like yasinan, waqi’ah, and tahlil become something talked because of its close nature. It is match with the statement of Avicenna’s philosophy which states that in the parts that are not inside the material also contained three parts; material, shape, and apart from both, which between the form and the nature have controversial difference. A logic thinker should have deeper understanding. The deeds are used to do, if not it will cause a new problem, namely non-compliance with social life.
Material exist is from the form which in truth have the characteristic (‘aradl). The material yasinan is on, after the form and the nature attached on it. Anyhow the condition of the material does not reduce the original nature and the form. As an Aristotelian, Avicenna agreed that the form related to the nature, the motion to the motionless, and the time to the motion.
It causes the estimative popping out in the brain of thinker. They adjust to the widespread or the developments of the material. It is continued with an assessment that the other is possibly true or the truth is only for the material. The similarity of the comparison result which supports the truth of thinking proves that the material is true and makes clear the position
Those nine propositions will lead to the truth, which confirm that the unity of God is real regarding to the condition of such material.
