The Rational Soul: A Study of the Duality Characteristic and Genetic Interpretation. A Quick Closer look at Ibn Sina's Scientific Heritage

Abstract

Magdy Mohamed Zaaball and Wahid Mohamed Ahmed

In his pioneering manuscript, “A Treatise on knowing the rational soul and its Conditions”, Ibn Sina collected a unique set of facts and illuminating notions about the rational soul and explain in a scientific, systematic way the differences between it and the body. Then he linked these concepts and confirmed them by some Qur’an verses, which honestly indicate that his scientific and intellectual data had their primary source in his deep belief in the theory of divine creation, represented in its implications in Islamic doctrine and philosophy. This wonderful text came to us from the depth of centuries, almost a thousand years ago through a golden bridge of knowledge, philosophy of science and Islamic religion. The current article is devoted to presenting, studying and analyzing this important text. This manuscript includes three chapters, and conclusion, through which he explains the evidence that confirms his idea about the distinction between the soul and the body. As for the conclusion, he focused on the three worlds that govern and control the existence, which are the world of the mind, in addition to the worlds of the soul and the body. Our discussion of this text touched on the explanation and analysis of three main concepts, which are, firstly, the theory of the divine creation from the perspective of Islamic doctrine and philosophy, comparing it to the operative words of some other religious. In this context, we interpreted some of Qur’an verses in the light of modern scientific data of genetics and embryology. Then, secondly, we analyzed, the duality of the soul and body, as well as thirdly, the duality of the soul and mind. Regarding the duality of the soul and mind, we can assume that the intellect (aql in Arabic) can be considered the gene of intelligence that unite with the soul and together they form the human mind or the “rational soul”, so in this sense we can conclude that the soul may have a dual code, one of which is a genetic code for the body and the other is a spiritual code for the mind. Finally, in this article we set out to conduct a scientific, cultural and religious dialogue between various civilizations to reveal the human essence that is always expanding and always acquiring new principles and visions in every civilizational cycle. The evidence is Ibn Sina himself, who absorbed Greek philosophy and was greatly influenced by it, and then he embarked on a path of tremendous and inspiring medical and philosophical awakening, a path that different civilizations respected, translated, nurtured and was influenced by.

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