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

meaning of the ‘true’, whether it concerns material existents or separate
existents. The theory that existence is an addition to the quiddity and that
the existent in its essence does not subsist by its-and this is the theory of
Avicenna-is a most erroneous theory, for this would imply that the term
‘existence’ signified an accident outside the soul common to the ten
categories. And then it can be asked about this accident when it is said to
exist, if ‘exist’ is taken here in the meaning of the ‘true’ or whether it is
meant that an accident exists in this accident, and so on ad infinitum,
which is absurd, as we have shown elsewhere. ‘ I believe that it is this
meaning of ‘existence’ which Ghazali tried to den) of the First principle,
and indeed in this sense it must be denied of all existents and a fortiori of
the First Principle, since it is a false theory.
Having mentioned this sense of unity in the statements of the
philosophers, Ghazali now proceeds to describe . the ways in which they
contradict themselves in his opinion, and lie says:
Now notwithstanding all this, the philosophers affirin of
God that He is the First and a principle, an existent, a
substance, a monad, that He is eternal, everlasting,
knowledge and knower and known, an agent and a creator,
that He is endowed with will and power and life, that He is
the lover and the beloved, the enjoyer and the enjoyed, that
He is generous, and the absolute good, and they believe that
all this is meant by the term ‘one’, and does not imply airy
plurality. And this indeed is something very wonderful.
Now we must first state their theory clearly in order to
understand it well, and then we shall occupy ourselves with
its refutation, for it is an absurd undertaking to refute a
theory before it is well understood. Now the central point forthe
understanding of their doctrine is that they say that the
essence of the Principle is one, and the plurality of terms
arises only through bringing something in relation to it or
through bringing it in relation to something, or through
denying something of it; for the negation of something does
not cause plurality in that of which it is denied, nor does the
establishment of relation produce a plurality. Therefore they
do not deny the plurality of the negations and the relations,
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