At the IMDB page of the film there's at least one actor of Iranian descent, Hossein Andalibi of Holland, who's probably playing a supporting role, listed. There may be others, but not as the main characters. Since you haven't seen it yet, how do you know that it's a "great movie?" Trailers can be deceiving. Perhaps you mean "promising."
Too bad that in the known circles, of which there aren't many in the West, this great man is referred to as an "islamic" scholar and not the Persian that he was. But...what else is new?
Avicenna was a devout Muslim and was the product of the particular Islamic society in which he lived. As far as his theological work, it's appropriate to call him an "Islamic scholar," as in a "scholar of Islam." But to apply that term in its more general sense of a Muslim in an Islamic society, is a more subjective and ambiguous matter. Some Western historians have referred to him as "the most famous scientist of Islam."
As far as his nationality, the Uzbeks lay claim to Ibn Sina b/c of his birthplace, and the Tajiks have done national commemorations of him, including the issuance of currency in his honor.
Avicenna was a deist. Deists believe in existence of God but reject revelation, organized religion, and supernatural events such as miracles. According to deism God created universe but left it with a set of fixed physical laws which he will not change based on the petitions humans fill! It means that God does not send rain because people cry (do'aye baroon) nor shakes us up by earthquake if women wear bikini. In other words the universe is on autopilot. Pretty advanced for his time, huh?
Hafiz, Fereydun Adamiyat, and Mirza Fatali Akhundzadeh are notable Iranian deists. Mehdi Bazargan after failing himself and his nation reached similar conclusions regarding God's intereference in the world's affairs. Too late.
If it's a matter of claiming Avicenna, Russians have studied Avicenna extensively and definitely way more than us.
I'm not familiar w/ the details of Ibn Sina's theology beyond this summary, but whatever deist elements there may have been in his theology, he still considered himself as some kind of a devout Muslim. It's a credit to him that he was mostly able to separate his theological beliefs from his rationally- and empirically-based investigations of the natural world, and a credit to his society that tolerated such activities. Similar cases have existed in the Christendom. E.g., Isaac Newton & Leonhard Euler, two of the most famous scientists of all time, also held religious (Christian) beliefs that they wrote or lectured about.
One example where Avicenna's religious beliefs may have interefered w/ his scientific investigations, seems to have been hinted at in one of "The Physician" trailers posted above, where Avicenna tells the Christian apprentice that what the apprentice is proposing is against the divine laws of the 3 Abrahamic religions. Although I haven't read the book, my guess is that he was referring to dissection of bodies for medical investigations, which doesn't seem to have been done much, if any, by Muslim physicians of the time. If my guess is correct, Ibn Sina may have diminished his own discoveries b/c of his religious sensibilities.
Consider that deism became widespreadly accepted by the philosophers of the enlightenment almost seven centuries after Avicenna. However, due to rapid blossom of science deism soon sublimed to atheism because philosophers could hardly remain loyal to the idea of anthropomorphized God afterward. Avicenna encouraged Zakariya Razi who was exceeding him in his views about existence of God. The famous quartet* is said to be his justified arroagant rebuttal of those who accused him of apostasy after noticing his deist views.
For man sanctity of life goes beyond his own evidenced by the advocacy of animal rights and the rights of other forms of life e.g. tree's rights. Just see how delicate and respetful is the approach of veganism to other forms of life. Even in Islam where eating pork is forbidden it is the animal's life that is somehow spared. Man is reaching the point that Eearth has a right as well. Ethics of human dissection** has a long history. Historically there has been pro- and against in both religious and non-relgious camps. Some religions claim monopoloy on morality but looking at volumes of writings on Ethics in science and medicine in addition to the ethical treatment of animals in research lab and patients' rights one can, owing to science, appreciate human's progress.
*کفر چو منی گزاف و آسان نبود /محکم تر از ایمان من ایمان نبود
در دهر یکی چون من و آنهم کافر/ پس در همه دهر یک مسلمان نبود
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Great movie. Is there any Iranian actors or actresses in the movie?
Yolanda,
At the IMDB page of the film there's at least one actor of Iranian descent, Hossein Andalibi of Holland, who's probably playing a supporting role, listed. There may be others, but not as the main characters. Since you haven't seen it yet, how do you know that it's a "great movie?" Trailers can be deceiving. Perhaps you mean "promising."
Too bad that in the known circles, of which there aren't many in the West, this great man is referred to as an "islamic" scholar and not the Persian that he was. But...what else is new?
Ex_CoP,
Avicenna was a devout Muslim and was the product of the particular Islamic society in which he lived. As far as his theological work, it's appropriate to call him an "Islamic scholar," as in a "scholar of Islam." But to apply that term in its more general sense of a Muslim in an Islamic society, is a more subjective and ambiguous matter. Some Western historians have referred to him as "the most famous scientist of Islam."
As far as his nationality, the Uzbeks lay claim to Ibn Sina b/c of his birthplace, and the Tajiks have done national commemorations of him, including the issuance of currency in his honor.
Avicenna was a deist. Deists believe in existence of God but reject revelation, organized religion, and supernatural events such as miracles. According to deism God created universe but left it with a set of fixed physical laws which he will not change based on the petitions humans fill! It means that God does not send rain because people cry (do'aye baroon) nor shakes us up by earthquake if women wear bikini. In other words the universe is on autopilot. Pretty advanced for his time, huh?
Hafiz, Fereydun Adamiyat, and Mirza Fatali Akhundzadeh are notable Iranian deists. Mehdi Bazargan after failing himself and his nation reached similar conclusions regarding God's intereference in the world's affairs. Too late.
If it's a matter of claiming Avicenna, Russians have studied Avicenna extensively and definitely way more than us.
I claim him to be an Iranian scholar, NOT islamic scholar, end of story!
@trawetsdor,
I'm not familiar w/ the details of Ibn Sina's theology beyond this summary, but whatever deist elements there may have been in his theology, he still considered himself as some kind of a devout Muslim. It's a credit to him that he was mostly able to separate his theological beliefs from his rationally- and empirically-based investigations of the natural world, and a credit to his society that tolerated such activities. Similar cases have existed in the Christendom. E.g., Isaac Newton & Leonhard Euler, two of the most famous scientists of all time, also held religious (Christian) beliefs that they wrote or lectured about.
One example where Avicenna's religious beliefs may have interefered w/ his scientific investigations, seems to have been hinted at in one of "The Physician" trailers posted above, where Avicenna tells the Christian apprentice that what the apprentice is proposing is against the divine laws of the 3 Abrahamic religions. Although I haven't read the book, my guess is that he was referring to dissection of bodies for medical investigations, which doesn't seem to have been done much, if any, by Muslim physicians of the time. If my guess is correct, Ibn Sina may have diminished his own discoveries b/c of his religious sensibilities.
@maghshoosh,
Consider that deism became widespreadly accepted by the philosophers of the enlightenment almost seven centuries after Avicenna. However, due to rapid blossom of science deism soon sublimed to atheism because philosophers could hardly remain loyal to the idea of anthropomorphized God afterward. Avicenna encouraged Zakariya Razi who was exceeding him in his views about existence of God. The famous quartet* is said to be his justified arroagant rebuttal of those who accused him of apostasy after noticing his deist views.
************************************************************
For man sanctity of life goes beyond his own evidenced by the advocacy of animal rights and the rights of other forms of life e.g. tree's rights. Just see how delicate and respetful is the approach of veganism to other forms of life. Even in Islam where eating pork is forbidden it is the animal's life that is somehow spared. Man is reaching the point that Eearth has a right as well. Ethics of human dissection** has a long history. Historically there has been pro- and against in both religious and non-relgious camps. Some religions claim monopoloy on morality but looking at volumes of writings on Ethics in science and medicine in addition to the ethical treatment of animals in research lab and patients' rights one can, owing to science, appreciate human's progress.
*کفر چو منی گزاف و آسان نبود /محکم تر از ایمان من ایمان نبود
در دهر یکی چون من و آنهم کافر/ پس در همه دهر یک مسلمان نبود
**http://brainblogger.com/2011/08/20/human-dissection-from-galen-to-the-great-revelations-of-andreas-vesalius/