A Comparative Study of the Views of Farabi, Ibn Sina, and Aristotle of the Substantiality of the Soul and its Immateriality and Immortality

Aristotle believes that the soul is necessarily a substance and views substance as the main ontological concept of his philosophy. Accordingly, it is important to learn about his idea of substance in order to perceive his view of the materiality or immateriality of the soul. Aristotle received great attention in the tradition of Islamic philosophy, particularly, the Peripatetic philosophy, and the stance of Islamic thinkers with regard to the soul bears some direct or close relationship with his theories. Farabi and Ibn Sina agree with Aristotle’s different definitions of substance and its general division into sensible and insensible types. However, the fundamental differences between their ideas and those of this Greek philosopher have yielded certain consequences which are quite noteworthy. The main purpose of this study is to explore such differences and discover their ultimate views on the immateriality and immortality of the soul. Accordingly, the writers initially examine the words that Aristotle used in order to define the meaning of substance and, secondly, refer to the various works in which he discussed the concept of substance. Finally, they compare his ideas in this regard with those of Farabi and Ibn Sina.