Substances in Subjects: Instantiation and Existence in Avicenna
In an effort to refute Avicenna's real distinction between essence and existence, Averroes argues for an Instantiation Analysis of existence which thinks of existence not as an accidental addition to an essence, but rather as the recognition that there is an instance in extramental reality whic...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
2022
|
In: |
American catholic philosophical quarterly
Year: 2022, Volume: 96, Issue: 3, Pages: 453-471 |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | In an effort to refute Avicenna's real distinction between essence and existence, Averroes argues for an Instantiation Analysis of existence which thinks of existence not as an accidental addition to an essence, but rather as the recognition that there is an instance in extramental reality which matches a concept in the mind of a knower. In this study, I argue that Averroes's Instantiation Analysis fails to refute Avicenna's real distinction by showing that Avicenna himself endorses the Instantiation Analysis and, in fact, makes use of it to motivate his real distinction. To show this, I review several texts where Avicenna makes the puzzling claim that substances are found to be in subjects. These texts reveal how Avicenna discovers the real distinction with Aristotle's help - not, as Averroes relates, against the view of Aristotle. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 2153-8441 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: American catholic philosophical quarterly
|
Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5840/acpq2022519255 |