Ibn Bajja on the Foundations of the Science of Animals

What is it about?

This paper attempts to show how the Andalusian philosopher Ibn Bājja (d. 1139) sought for the fundamentals of the study of animals as an autonomous discipline, whereas Aristotle considered it only as a part of natural science. I argue that Ibn Bājja discusses abstract and mixed mathematical sciences at the beginning of the work in order to ask whether we may or not take their methodology as a paradigm for establishing the principles of the science of animals as well. Denying the applicability of the methods of mathematics, he freely acknowledges the difficulties he encounters in the process of the foundation of a new science. I contend that even though Ibn Bājja confines himself to adopting Aristotle’s division of animals into “the greatest kinds”, his chain of reasoning itself constitutes a groundbreaking effort to reorganize Aristotle’s methodological discussions concerning the investigation of animals.

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Why is it important?

Aristotle does not consider the study of animals as a separate domain of science. Even Avicenna, in his commentary on Aristotle’s De Animalibus, does not refer to it as a science. It is only Ibn Bajja who, for the first time, raises the question of whether it may be investigated as an independent scientific discipline.

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