On Ibn Bajja’s Philosophical Psychology

This article is intended to serve as a kind of introduction to the treatise of the pioneer of the Peripatetic school in Arab Spain — Ibn Bajja (lat. Avempace, d. 1139) — “The Conjunction of the Active Intellect with Man”, the translation of which is published in this issue. The article covers the life and work of the philosopher, highlighting the main concepts of his philosophical psychology: the doctrine of spiritual forms; the proofs for existence of Active intellect (al-‘aql al-fa‘‘āl ); the theory of the conjunction (ittisāl) of human mind with Active intellect, and through it — with God; mononoistic intention.