Al-Farabi’s Different aproach on the Meaning of “Acquired Intellect”

Abstract

This paper deals with the difference between acquired intellect, and natural parts of human`s intellect. For al-Farabi actual intellect is the general condition of immortality whereby acquired intellect is the special condition of eternal happiness. The stages of potential and actual intellects mean the intellect that exist in the nature of human and develop after birth; however acquired intellect means the intellect that benefits from superior intellect by hearing. The first part is based on intellect and the second part is based on hearing. The natural intellect deals with for the process of abstraction of sensibles from sensible word while the acquired intellect deals with the entities from separated realm. Also, it will be taken into consideration that al-Farabi while putting forward his theory of intellects might have benefitted from Peripatetic’s and Hellenistic sources as well as some others. As a result, it is claimed in this paper that al-Farabi evaluated the issue authentically, based on an intellect understanding that already exist in his own tradition cantered around the thoughts of Imam Ali.