Avicenna’s Theory of Intentionality

Zhenyu Cai

$398.95 $319.42

Hardback

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English

Routledge
10 December 2025

Intentionality – how thoughts represent reality – lies at the heart of many contemporary philosophical questions in the philosophy of mind. Over the past 20 years, Avicenna’s conception of intentionality has received considerable scholarly attention. This book provides the first comprehensive analysis of Avicenna’s theory of intentionality.

Demonstrating how Avicenna distinguished theories of meaning (maʿnā as signification) from intentionality (‘the power to represent’), this work presents his theory of intentionality as a form of non-reductive representationalism. It argues that, for Avicenna, cognitive intentionality is explained by the existence of a representational power ultimately rooted in the rational soul as immaterial self-awareness. Furthermore, the book demonstrates that Avicenna’s thoughts on intentionality cannot be neatly assimilated into contemporary naturalistic or phenomenal approaches, as his theory strikes a balance between the two. This book offers a novel and systematic perspective on contemporary debates surrounding Avicenna’s theory of cognition and intentionality.

Scholars and students of medieval philosophy, Islamic intellectual history, and philosophy of mind will find it essential reading. It is also suitable for academic libraries, philosophy publishers, and those exploring non-Western philosophical traditions.

By: Zhenyu Cai
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 480g
ISBN: 9781032671888
ISBN 10: 1032671882
Pages: 162
Publication Date: 10 December 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1: Maʿnā and Representation 2: Representation and Abstraction 3: Acquaintance and Representational Intentionality 4: Beyond the Husserlian Picture 5: The Being of Representation

Zhenyu Cai completed his PhD at Cambridge in 2022 and is now an assistant professor at Peking University. His research focuses on Arabic philosophy, particularly Avicenna’s philosophy of mind and its reception in post-Avicennian and Han kitāb traditions.

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Avicenna’s Theory of Intentionality

Zhenyu Cai

$398.95 $319.42

Hardback

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