The Position of the Body in Perception from the Point of View of Ibn-Sina and Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Abstract

In the history of western and eastern philosophy, the discussion of science and perception has been centered on the soul, and the body has been on the sidelines. Islamic philosophers, especially Masha'is, consider science and perception to be the function of the soul and not the body. In this research, we try to analyze the views of Ibn-Sina and Maurice Merleau-Ponty's thoughts about bodily perception using an analytical-descriptive method and a comparative approach. In this regard, first Ibn-Sina's views on the principles of psychology and then the role of the body in perception are analyzed. Then, the phenomenology of perception and the role of the body in it are examined from the perspective of Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Believing in the duality of soul and body, Ibn-Sina considers the soul as the basis of perception, but at the same time, he is not oblivious to the role of the body in the matter of perception. He sees the soul as a rider that uses its compound, the body, in actions and perception. On the other hand, according to Merleau-Ponty, the soul and the body are united and the body has a more prominent role in perception; in other words, the body is considered the only way to perceive existence.

Keywords

• perception
• body
• soul
• ibnsina
• maurice merleau-ponty