Q0566
“The first of intelligibles is the grasp of existence; from it the…” — Avicenna (Pointers and Reminders (Ishārāt))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Pointers and Reminders (Ishārāt). Theme: being.
English
The first of intelligibles is the grasp of existence; from it the mind proceeds to the necessary and the possible.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Pointers and Reminders (Ishārāt) and files it under Islamic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Avicenna
Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna, 980–1037) wrote The Healing and The Canon of Medicine, dominating Islamic and later Latin curricula. Born near Bukhara, he synthesized Aristotelian and Neoplatonic themes into a system centered on the Necessary Existent and an immortal rational soul.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Paul Tillich and Avicenna), being is framed through Africana Philosophy and Religious Existentialism. Some passages define being; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through being, reason.
Concepts in this quote
- Being
- Being appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat being as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Avicenna. (n.d.). The first of intelligibles is the grasp of existence; from it the mind proceeds to the necessary and the possible. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0566
MLA: Avicenna. “The first of intelligibles is the grasp of….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0566.
Chicago: Avicenna. “The first of intelligibles is the grasp of….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0566.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The first of intelligibles is the grasp of…”?
The passage is attributed to Avicenna, Pointers and Reminders (Ishārāt). The archive attributes this English wording to Pointers and Reminders (Ishārāt) and files it under Islamic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Avicenna mean by being?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Paul Tillich and Avicenna), being is framed through Africana Philosophy and Religious Existentialism. Some passages define being; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through being, reason.