History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 138 - The Self-Made Man - Avicenna's Life and Works
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Jul 21, 2013 AI Snips
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Avicenna's Study Rituals
- Avicenna stayed up late making syllogistic note cards to verify philosophical arguments logically from first principles.
- When intuition failed, he prayed for inspiration or drank wine, shocking later Muslim readers.
Avicenna’s Linguistic Revenge
- Avicenna was insulted by a scholar and responded by compiling an obscure linguistics text to embarrass him.
- The scholar couldn't explain it, showing Avicenna's sharp wit and thin skin when angry.
Gossip on Avicenna’s Death
- Rumors say Avicenna was poisoned by servants fearing he’d catch them stealing.
- He died after failing to abstain from sexual activity as self-diagnosed necessary for health.