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

a book on philosophy

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from Him? For this is not even necessary in voluntary acts,

and how could it be necessary in natural acts? For the

movement of a stone from the top of a mountain can occur

through a voluntary propulsion which implies knowledge of

the principle of motion, but does not imply knowledge of all

the consequences which may occur through its knocking and

breaking something. ‘ And to this again the philosophers

have no answer.

I answer:

The answer to this is that the Agent whose knowledge is of the highest

perfection knows everything which proceeds from Him and which

proceeds from that which proceeds from Him, and so from the first term to

the last. And if the knowledge of the First is of the highest perfection, the

First must know everything that proceeds from it either mediately or

immediately, and its knowledge need not be of the same kind as our

knowledge, for our knowledge is imperfect and posterior to the thing

known.

Then Ghazali says, answering the objection he brought forward against

the philosophers:

I say:

If, however, the philosophers should say: ‘If we declared

that the First only knows its own self, this would be a very

reprehensible doctrine, for all other beings know themselves

and know the First, and would therefore be superior to it; and

how can the effect be superior to the cause?

This is an insufficient answer, for it opposes a rational argument with a

moral one.

Then Ghazali answers this and says:

We should answer: ‘This reprehensible doctrine is a

necessary consequence for those who follow the

philosophers in denying the Divine Will and the production of

the world, and one must either adhere to it as the other

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