The Arabic, Hebrew and Latin Reception of Avicenna's Metaphysics

Avicenna's Metaphysics (in Arabic Ilâhiyyât) is one of the most important metaphysical treatises after Aristotle. This volume presents studies on its direct and indirect influenceon Arabic, Hebrew, and Latin culture from the early 11th through the 16th century. Among the philosophical topics which receive particular attention are the distinction between essence and existence, the theory of universals, the concept of God as the necessary being, and the theory of emanation. The studies also address the philological and historical circumstances of the textual tradition in three medieval cultures.