NOAH GORDON’S INTERPRETATIONS OF IBN SINA’S PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS: A LITERARY ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICIAN
Keywords:
Ibn Sina, The Physician, Intellectual Influence, Medical Ethics, Physician-Princess, Spiritual Healing, Ethical Leadership, Philosophy of Medicine, Cultural Integration, Body and Soul, Medical Mentorship, Intellectual Debate, Philosophical Approach to Medicine.Abstract
This article explores the way Noah Gordon interprets and adapts Ibn Sina’s (Avicenna) philosophical ideas in his novel The Physician. Gordon presents Ibn Sina not only as a medical mentor to the protagonist Rob Cole but also as a moral guide and intellectual authority whose influence shapes Rob’s personal and professional development. The article critically examines key aspects of Ibn Sina’s philosophy, including the holistic approach to medicine, the relationship between the body and soul, and the importance of ethics in medical practice. Through Gordon’s literary portrayal, Ibn Sina’s contributions to both the medical and philosophical fields are reinterpreted for a contemporary audience, highlighting the enduring relevance of his ideas across cultures and time periods.
References
Gordon, Noah. The Physician. New York: Bantam Books, 1986.
Gutas, Dimitri. Avicenna and the Aristotelian Tradition. Brill, 1988.
Lindberg, David C. The Beginnings of Western Science. University of Chicago Press, 1992.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Islamic Science: An Illustrated Study. World Wisdom, 2009.
Walzer, Richard. Avicenna’s Philosophy: A Study of His Philosophy of Logic. Oxford University Press, 1952.
McVaugh, Michael R. The Canon of Medicine in Medieval Europe. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Van den Berg, Henri. The Book of Healing and its Influence on Islamic Philosophy. Brill, 2003.
