AVICENNA

Library Stamp: National Library of Naples

...brothers, and to the reader: when I was choosing which task to undertake—one that would be both more noble and more pleasing—I found that contemplations on the virtues of the soul are by far more difficult and obscure than others. And I saw the prince of priests, Ali original: "Hali"; likely referring to Ali ibn Abi Talib, often cited in mystical and philosophical traditions, saying that he who knows his own soul, knows his Creator. The opinion of Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, is not foreign to this view; for I find it written in his works that he who fails in the knowledge of the soul, fails in the knowledge of his Creator. Indeed, if a man does not know his own soul, by what other reasoning will he ever contemplate or know anything else? The book of the Quran original: "alcoranus" certainly confirms this sentiment, in which it is written that those of the sect of Aladin likely a corruption of "al-din," referring to "the faith" or "the religion" are furthest from the mercy of God; they are those who, since they forget God, God also forgets their souls. From this we rightly gather that the forgetting of the soul causes the forgetting of God Himself. And we can believe and confirm that the memory of God proceeds from the memory of the soul, and the knowledge of God arises from the knowledge of the soul.

The books of the ancients also bear witness to this, in which it is emphasized that one must especially watch and strive for the knowledge of the soul. This precept flowed down to us by the inspiration of God; it was even written upon a certain altar: "Know your soul" A variation of the famous Delphic maxim "Know thyself". We read this on the altar of Aesculapius, one of the prophets, from whom the philosophers received the science of medicine. Therefore, since all these things exhort us toward the knowledge of the soul—although we have disputed this same matter at greater length in our works on natural philosophy—it was nevertheless decided to write a concise book on the soul. This task will be both useful and most fitting to the desire of the Prince. Moreover, we pray to God the Greatest that He may command the Prince to remain long in this life; by his favor and protection, wise men (who were previously neglected) obtain their dignity, and the learned flourish, whose names previously lay in darkness. And may the same God protect me...

A