Spektrum Iran

On the influence of the Persian philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā) on Meister Eckhart’s Metaphysics

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Author

Roland Pietsch

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

10.22034/spektrum.2026.542074.1038
Abstrakt
This study examines the influence of the Persian philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā) on the metaphysical thought of Meister Eckhart, particularly his doctrine of being. From the 11th century onward, numerous Arabic philosophical works were translated into Latin in Western Europe, leading to a profound transformation of medieval scholastic philosophy. Avicenna’s works, especially his Metaphysics (Kitāb al-Šifāʾ), were translated in the 12th century in Toledo and later received extensive attention from major medieval thinkers such as Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, and Meister Eckhart. The paper focuses on Eckhart’s concept of being (esse) and demonstrates that his metaphysical framework is deeply shaped by Avicenna’s distinction between necessary being (wājib al-wujūd) and contingent beings. Eckhart’s central thesis “esse est Deus” (being is God) reflects a radical identification of absolute being with the divine essence. This position is closely connected to Avicenna’s idea that all things desire being and that being itself is pure perfection and goodness. Particular attention is given to Eckhart’s interpretation of the biblical name of God, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14), which he reads through a metaphysical lens influenced by Avicenna’s ontology. The analysis shows that Eckhart adopts and transforms Avicenna’s concepts of existence, essence, and necessary being to construct a speculative theology in which God is understood as pure, absolute, and self-subsistent being. The study concludes that Eckhart’s reception of Avicenna is not theological borrowing of Islamic doctrine but a philosophical appropriation of metaphysical concepts. This reception demonstrates how Islamic philosophy contributed fundamentally to the development of medieval European metaphysics, particularly through the mediation of Latin scholasticism.

Keywords

Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā)
Meister Eckhart
Metaphysics of Being
Necessary Being (wājib al-wujūd)
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Spektrum Iran
Volume 39, Issue 1
January 2026
Pages 253-268

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