The nature of knowledge in avicenna's philosophy

Avicenna defines knowledge as "that which is known manifesting in the subject that recognizes its nature." Him defining knowledge as such is caused by a system with a solid foundation. A solid foundation that doubtlessly featured his concept of human at its core. Human beings, who consist of two essences, mind and body, have constituted the main characteristic of Avicenna's understanding of knowledge. The two cognitive aspects that exist in them as a result of the duality of human beings are evaluated separately. While the mind comprehends abstract beings in accordance with its mental structure, the body, as a result of its material nature, can only comprehend matter. As a result of this division, two types of comprehension occur in human beings: universal and particular. Avicenna believes that in order for comprehension to become knowledge, all the elements that make it up need to be absolute abstract beings. Hence while the material form of the object manifesting in the human body leads to particular comprehension, the abstract nature of the same object manifesting in the human mind leads to universal comprehension, which according to Avicenna, is real knowledge. Therefore comprehension that results from the body is not real knowledge on its own but merely functions as a means for reaching knowledge. According to Avicenna, the source of all the founding elements of knowledge is the active intellect. Thus the ontological source of knowledge is also an active intellect. Consequently, a human being knowing an object means the nature of the object, which is in the active intellect, manifesting in the human mind. In this process, the essential role is of the active intellect. What human beings need to do in order to gain knowledge is to always be connected with the active intellect. The way to be connected with the active intellect is through intuition.