2 Research Collaborator positions in "The Encyclopedia of Philosophy in Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā)"

10 May 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca

Research Field

Philosophy
History » History of philosophy
Religious sciences » Other

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)
Established Researcher (R3)

Country

Italy

Application Deadline

9 Jul 2024 - 13:00 (Europe/Rome)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Fields

History of Medieval Philosophy; Arabic philosophy; Arabic-Islamic studies; Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā)

Profile

In the framework of the Research Grant FIS 2021 “SPACE: The System of Philosophy in Arabic: Charting the Encyclopaedias”, the selected research collaborators will provide a structural and doctrinal analysis of a representative sample of the encyclopedias of philosophy written by Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā, d. 1037), the champion of Arabic-Islamic philosophy in its formative phase and inventor of the literary genre of the philosophical summa. Special attention will be devoted to Avicenna’s masterpiece Kitāb al-Šifāʾ (Book of the Cure /Healing), an integrated collection of 22 treatises (of logic, 9; natural philosophy, 8; mathematics, 4; and metaphysics, with an appendix on practical philosophy) of more than 5000 printed pages, which will serve as meter of comparison with two other minor summae of Avicenna – al-Ḥikma al-ʿArūḍiyya (Philosophy for ʿArūḍī) and the Dānešnāme-ye ʿAlāʾī (Book of Science for ʿAlāʾ ad-Dawla), chosen for their chronological and linguistic relevance. Main goal of the research scholarships is the analysis of these encylopedias from the point of view of their format and arrangement, with special focus on the systematic interrelation of the distinct philosophical sciences constituting them, and on the structure of the encyclopedia of philosophy underlying them.

Activity

The contract holders will deal with the following topics, in synergy with the further personnel hired in the framework of the aforementioned Research Grant. I) A systematic search of the references to authors/works/disciplines that can be found in the Šifāʾ, in the form of: i) quotations of authors and works; ii) “internal” cross-references connecting the various parts of the work; iii) expressions used by Avicenna to refer to philosophical and scientific disciplines and their performers, as well as to the corresponding canonical texts in the ancient tradition. The aim is to grasp from Avicenna’s own words his consideration of authors, fields, and topics relevant to the structuring of the Šifāʾ. II) A comparison of the results obtained in the case of the Šifāʾ with the data obtainable from al-Ḥikma al-ʿArūḍiyya and the Dānešnāme-ye ʿAlāʾī, with the possibility of extending the analysis to Avicenna’s great encyclopedia of medicine, the Qānūn fī l-Ṭibb (Canon of Medicine). III) An assessment, with recourse to the manuscripts of Avicenna available in the databases of IMT, of the philological correctness of the various passages of the Šifāʾ considered. IV) A mapping, through techniques of digital humanities and with the assistance of specialized technical personnel, of the number and frequency of Avicenna’s various kinds of quotations in the distinct parts of the Šifāʾ and in the other works of Avicenna considered, sorting references similar to one another, and matching Avicenna’s references to other authors/works with corresponding passages in available database of works of authors whom Avicenna might have had in mind.

Requirements

Research Field

Philosophy » Other

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

Religious sciences

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

History » History of philosophy

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field to the project, including, but not limited to, History of Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy, Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Arabic;
• The contract holders should possess a solid command of Arabic thought, with special reference to Avicenna's philosophy;
• Fluency English

Specific Requirements

• Solid command of Arabic;
• Acquaintance with Persian and familiarity with the tools of digital analysis of texts will be considered valuable complementary skills

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Excellent

Languages

ARABIC

Level

Good

Additional Information

Website for additional job details

https://www.imtlucca.it/it/jobopportunity/the-encyclopedia-of-philosophy-avicen…

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

2

Company/Institute

Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca

Country

Italy

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.imtlucca.it/it/jobopportunity/the-encyclopedia-of-philosophy-avicen…

Contact

State/Province

Italy

City

Lucca

Website

http://www.imtlucca.it/

Street

Piazza San Ponziano 6

Postal Code

55100

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED