Asma Esaghinasab; Ainollah Khademi; Abdolah Salavati
Abstract
This research undertakes a critical re-reading of the conceptual metaphor of the “cage” (Qafas) in the tenth verse of Avicenna’s Al-Qaṣīdah al-ʿAyniyyah. Despite ...
Read More
This research undertakes a critical re-reading of the conceptual metaphor of the “cage” (Qafas) in the tenth verse of Avicenna’s Al-Qaṣīdah al-ʿAyniyyah. Despite the widespread consensus among commentators interpreting the “cage” as the material body, this interpretation proves incompatible with the dual role of the body in Avicenna’s psychology, wherein the body is simultaneously an aid to and an obstacle for the soul. Accordingly, the primary question of this research is: assuming this incompatibility, what does the “cage” metaphorically represent in this verse, and how can this apparent contradiction be resolved? The findings of this research demonstrate that the “cage” does not represent the body itself, but rather serves as a conceptual metaphor for the soul’s preoccupation with the body and the epistemic obstacles arising from this preoccupation. This redefinition, through a systematic analysis of metaphorical mappings and reliance on a network-based reading of Avicenna’s works, resolves the aforementioned incompatibility and enables a more coherent understanding of the body’s place in his thought. Finally, by tracing the origin of this metaphor and comparing it with preceding intellectual traditions, it is concluded that the present reading is not an imitation of Platonic and Neoplatonic traditions, but rather a creative re-appropriation grounded in Avicenna’s independent philosophical system.
