Tahafut_al-Tahafut-transl-Engl-van-den-Bergh

each other is a theory not known amongst the ancients, who merely state
that these principles hold certain positions in relation to the First Principle,
and that their existence is only made real through this relation to the First
Principle. As is said in the Qur’an: ‘There is none amongst us but has his
appointed place. It is the connexion which exists between them which
brings it about that some are the effect of others and that they all depend
on the First Principle. By ‘agent’ and ‘object’, ‘creator’ and ‘creature’, in so
far as it concerns this existence nothing more can be understood than just
this idea of connexion. But what we said of this connexion of every
existent with the One is something different from what is meant by ‘agent’
and ‘object’, ‘maker’ and ‘product’ in this sublunary world. If you imagine a
ruler who has many men under his command who again have others
under their command, and if you imagine that those commanded receive
their existence only through receiving this command and through their
obedience to this command, and those who are under those commanded
can only exist through those commanded, of necessity the first ruler will be
the one who bestows on all existents the characteristic through which they
become existent, and that which exists through its being commanded will
only exist because of the first ruler. And the philosophers understood that
this is what is meant by the divine laws when they speak of creation, of
calling into existence out of nothing, and of command. This is tire best way
to teach people to understand the philosophical doctrine without tile
ignominy attaching to it, which seems to attach when you listen to the
analysis Ghazali gives of it here. Tire philosophers assert that all this is
proved in their books, and the man who, (raving fulfilled the conditions
they impose,’ is able to study their works will find the truth of what they
say---or perhaps its opposite--and will not understand Aristotle’s theory or
Plato’s in any other sense than that here indicated. And their philosophy is
tire highest point human intelligence can reach. It may be that, Nvlrerr it
man discover, these explanations of philosophical theory, lie will find that
they happen not only to be true but to be generally acknowledged, and
teachings which are f;errerally acceptable are pleasing and delightful to
all.
One of the premisses from which this explanation is deduced is that
when one observes this sublunary world, one finds that what is called
‘living’ and ‘knowing’ moves on its own account in welldefined movements
towards well-defined ends and well-defined acts from which new well-
167