To what extent was Avicenna significant to
the development of modern medicine?
ABSTRACT
Avicenna is a well-known ninth-century Persian polymath who has made significant
contributions to modern medicine. In many cases, modern science has been able to prove
Avicenna’s hypotheses made over a millennium ago. It is therefore vital to revisit Avicenna’s
work to pay due credit to his theories that have survived to the modern age as well as apply
some of his work to our current healthcare system. This report aims to evaluate Avicenna’s
vast contributions to Western medicine through his most influential work, the Canon of
Medicine, as well as his most impactful theories which are still in use today.
INTRODUCTION
‘Medicine is a science from which one learns the conditions of the human body with regard to
health and the absence of health, the aim being to protect health when it exists and restore it
when absent’ (Nasser, Tibi, and Savage-Smith, 2009). This famous definition of medicine is
attributed to the ‘prince of physicians’ (Amr and Tbakhi, 2007), Abu Ali Al-Hussein Ibn
Abdullah Ibn Sina. In the Arab world, he is more widely known as Ibn Sina, and in the West,
by the Latinized form of his name, Avicenna. He is said to be the most famous and influential
of the philosopher-scientists of the mediaeval Islamic world (Flannery, 2019). Avicenna was
1
, said to be ‘to the Arab world what Aristotle was to Greece’ (B.Kelly, 2019). His works as a
philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, thinker, and writer continue to be well regarded and
studied around the world today. However, in this report, we will focus on his scientific
contributions as the “Father of Early Modern Medicine” (Abbas and Abbas, 2020) and
evaluate the extent to which Avicenna’s theories influenced the development of modern
medicine, taking into account the limitations on research in his time. To put it simply, this
report argues that ‘modern medicine is laid upon the infrastructure of his medicine’ (Moosavi,
2009). In addition, the report will examine his contributions to Persian traditional medicine
(also known as ‘Unani/Yurani’ medicine) as a holistic practice of medicine that may be
lacking in modern allopathic medical practices- the orthodox medical method of treating
disease (Collins English Dictionary, 2010).
To clarify the term ‘to what extent’ in the question posed, this report will consider both the
arguments for and against Avicenna's influential role in 'modern medicine'. ‘Modern
medicine’ in the report will refer to medicine practised post-industrial evolution to ensure a
specified timeline is clarified. To measure the extent of his ‘significance’, modern medical
concepts that may have evolved from Avicenna’s hypotheses and research will be
highlighted. Finally, this report will discuss the impact Avicenna had on other physicians and
researchers beyond Avicanna’s lifetime as this will indicate the contribution of his theories to
the development of modern medicine.
BIOGRAPHY
Avicenna’s autobiography is the main source of information about his life and in particular
his academic life. He was born in the village Afshona near Bukhara (current Uzbekistan) in
the year 980 AD (Buranova, 2015). Avicenna’s mother was a Tadjik woman named Sitara
(Amr and Tbakhi, 2007). Much of Avicenna’s academic upbringing can be accredited to his
2
the development of modern medicine?
ABSTRACT
Avicenna is a well-known ninth-century Persian polymath who has made significant
contributions to modern medicine. In many cases, modern science has been able to prove
Avicenna’s hypotheses made over a millennium ago. It is therefore vital to revisit Avicenna’s
work to pay due credit to his theories that have survived to the modern age as well as apply
some of his work to our current healthcare system. This report aims to evaluate Avicenna’s
vast contributions to Western medicine through his most influential work, the Canon of
Medicine, as well as his most impactful theories which are still in use today.
INTRODUCTION
‘Medicine is a science from which one learns the conditions of the human body with regard to
health and the absence of health, the aim being to protect health when it exists and restore it
when absent’ (Nasser, Tibi, and Savage-Smith, 2009). This famous definition of medicine is
attributed to the ‘prince of physicians’ (Amr and Tbakhi, 2007), Abu Ali Al-Hussein Ibn
Abdullah Ibn Sina. In the Arab world, he is more widely known as Ibn Sina, and in the West,
by the Latinized form of his name, Avicenna. He is said to be the most famous and influential
of the philosopher-scientists of the mediaeval Islamic world (Flannery, 2019). Avicenna was
1
, said to be ‘to the Arab world what Aristotle was to Greece’ (B.Kelly, 2019). His works as a
philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, thinker, and writer continue to be well regarded and
studied around the world today. However, in this report, we will focus on his scientific
contributions as the “Father of Early Modern Medicine” (Abbas and Abbas, 2020) and
evaluate the extent to which Avicenna’s theories influenced the development of modern
medicine, taking into account the limitations on research in his time. To put it simply, this
report argues that ‘modern medicine is laid upon the infrastructure of his medicine’ (Moosavi,
2009). In addition, the report will examine his contributions to Persian traditional medicine
(also known as ‘Unani/Yurani’ medicine) as a holistic practice of medicine that may be
lacking in modern allopathic medical practices- the orthodox medical method of treating
disease (Collins English Dictionary, 2010).
To clarify the term ‘to what extent’ in the question posed, this report will consider both the
arguments for and against Avicenna's influential role in 'modern medicine'. ‘Modern
medicine’ in the report will refer to medicine practised post-industrial evolution to ensure a
specified timeline is clarified. To measure the extent of his ‘significance’, modern medical
concepts that may have evolved from Avicenna’s hypotheses and research will be
highlighted. Finally, this report will discuss the impact Avicenna had on other physicians and
researchers beyond Avicanna’s lifetime as this will indicate the contribution of his theories to
the development of modern medicine.
BIOGRAPHY
Avicenna’s autobiography is the main source of information about his life and in particular
his academic life. He was born in the village Afshona near Bukhara (current Uzbekistan) in
the year 980 AD (Buranova, 2015). Avicenna’s mother was a Tadjik woman named Sitara
(Amr and Tbakhi, 2007). Much of Avicenna’s academic upbringing can be accredited to his
2
