Book Review: Ibn Sina and his Influence on the Arabic and Latin World

Abstract

This review examines Ibn Sina and his Influence on the Arabic and Latin World by Jules Janssens, a collected volume that explores the intellectual legacy of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) across Islamic and Latin Christian traditions. The book stands out in the Variorum series by including a new introductory chapter that contextualizes the philosopher's influence on figures such as al-Ghazālī, Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and Henry of Ghent. The review highlights Janssens’ methodological rigor and his challenge to conventional portrayals of Avicenna’s reception—particularly the reassessment of al-Ghazālī's relationship to Avicennian thought. While the book’s limited index and lack of editorial updates are noted as drawbacks, the volume is ultimately praised as a significant and insightful contribution to Avicennian scholarship and the broader study of intercultural philosophical transmission.