The concept of love in Avicenna

Subject of our thesis is to state the meaning of concept of love in Avicenna?s thought from the point of view of especially God-human being and God-universe relationships by means of educing meanings he used in his philosophical system. The thesis is composed of an introduction, two main parts and a conclusion. In the first part of our thesis we stated how concept of love is understood firstly in antiquity philosophy and then in muslim philosophy. Plato has described love as the desire to find a way going to the most excellent (God) using the absence of a thing. On the other hand, Aristotle has analyzed love from two aspects which are ontological and psychological. From the ontological aspect, the movement of First Mover is the reason of desire and love. However, love from psychological aspect is based on mutual benefit, an elite excellence and a meaningful equivalence. Plotinus argued that love does not consist of only feelings happening in the soul, but also it is a reason of coming to existence. In the second section of the first part, it has been seen that al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Ibn Miskawayh and Ikhwan al- Safa? have asserted similar ideas. According to those, God is Love, Lover and Beloved and everything head towards God and tries to resemble Him. In the second part of our thesis, Avicenna also approaches love from two aspects which are ontological and psychological as Aristotle. From the ontological aspect, he states that love is the reason of coming to existence. There is a deterministic downward from Necessary Being and there is desire and love to upward from down, that is existences. On the other hand, love analyzed from psychological aspect has similarities with the ideas of Aristotle. The lover wants to become perfect by means of one that is similar and appropriate to him/her. In conclusion, although concept of love in Avicenna has similarities with antiquity Greek philosophers? ideas in details, Avicenna?s concept of love constitutes a unique structure in general. Separate from antiquity Greek philosophers, there is an aim and mystery in the universe according to Avicenna. In other words, everything comes from God and human beings reach to perfectionism in respect of their degree to know God. The ultimate aim is being perfect by desire and love of knowing God which is the real happiness of an individual.