A Comparative Study of Metaphysics in Avicenna and Suaréz

In the beginning of his fourth book (Gama), Aristotle introduces metaphysics as an “existent qua existent” science and has called it “primary philosophy”, whereas, sometimes he has named it as “wisdom” and “theology”. Also, besides various names, he has set forth various and numerous subject for this science. Therefore, since long ago the commentators and interpreters of Aristotle have had trouble determining the subject of metaphysics and each has taken a separate path. With Avicenna entering the Middle Ages discourse, many developments have taken place on the subject of metaphysics. He knows metaphysics as existent qua existent, but he considers the existent generally, in such a way that it includes both God and the sensible beings and this is regarded as a development in metaphysics. Suaréz is a Middle Ages philosophers who has enjoyed the presence of Avicenna but has separated himself from Avicenna and others who came after him by a subject that he presents for metaphysics. His interpretation is an Aristotelian-Avicennan one that involuntarily leads to establishing the Modern metaphysics, which is different from the Aristotelian-Avicennan metaphysics system. This article is mainly intended to deal with metaphysics as compared between Avicenna and Suaréz and attempt is made to explicate and analyze the similarities and differences in the two Islamic and Christian traditions concerning metaphysics.