The Consistency of Peripatetic and Illuminationist Philosophical Approaches on Issue of the Soul in Ibn Sina's view

The theories concerning the issue of the soul are so various in the history of philosophy. The nature of the soul, its originatedness or eternity and quality of its relationship with the body are the most controversial issues in philosophical and theological discussions. Ibn Sina, as a Peripatetic philosopher, in most of his writings, has accepted the Aristotle's views on the originatedness of the soul, but in some mystical treatises and also in his work Qasidat al-Ayniyah, there are phrases which do imply his tendency to the Platonic view of the eternity of the soul. This raises a problematic for commentators of Ibn Sina, namely, how these two apparently contradictory views can be justified. The present paper examines the issue with descriptive-analytic approach. It seems that there had been no change in Ibn Sina’s views in his oriental philosophy, and that he remains faithful to his previous thesis on the originatedness of the soul. Therefore, there is no difference between the Peripatetic and illuminationist p[hilosophical approaches of Ibn Sina on the issue of the soul.