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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

which only some movements inhere, namely the eternal which is a bodylike the heavenly bodies, and when this distinction, which the philosophersrequire, is made, this objection becomes futile, for the discussion is onlyconcerned with the incorporeal eternal.Having made this objection against the philosophers, he gives theanswer of the philosophers about this question, and the summary is thatthey are only prevented from admitting temporal knowledge in the First,because temporal knowledge must arise through itself or through another;and in the former case there would proceed from the eternal a temporalbeing, and according to the principles of the philosophers no temporalbeing can proceed from the eternal. Then he argues against this assertionthat from the eternal no temporal being can proceed, by showing that theyassume that the sphere is eternal and that they assume that temporalbeings proceed from it.But their justification of this is that the temporal cannot proceed from anabsolutely eternal being, but only from an eternal being which is eternal inits substance, but temporal in its movements, namely the celestial body;and therefore the celestial body is according to them like an intermediarybetween the absolutely eternal and the absolutely temporal, for it is in oneway eternal, in another way temporal, and this intermediary is the celestialcircular movement according to the philosophers, and this movement isaccording to them eternal in its species, temporal in its parts. And so faras it is eternal, it proceeds from an eternal, and in so far as its parts aretemporal, there proceed from them infinite temporal beings. And the onlyreason that prevented the philosophers from accepting an existence oftemporal beings in the First was that the First is incorporeal and temporalbeings only exist in body, for only in body, according to them, there isreceptivity, and that which is free from matter has no receptivity.And Ghazali’s objection to the second part of the argument of thephilosophers, namely that the First Cause cannot be an effect, is that it ispossible that God’s knowledge should be like the knowledge of man, thatis that the things known should be the cause of His knowledge and theiroccurrence the cause of the fact that He knows them, just as the objectsof sight are the cause of visual perception and the intelligible the cause ofintellectual apprehension; so that in this way God’s producing and creating372
existents would be the cause of His apprehending them, and it would notbe His knowledge that would be the cause of His creating them.But it is impossible, according to the philosophers, that God’s knowledgeshould be analogous to ours, for our knowledge is the effect of theexistents, whereas God’s knowledge is their cause, and it is not true thateternal knowledge is of the same form as temporal. He who believes thismakes God an eternal man’ and man a mortal God, and in short, it haspreviously been shown that God’s knowledge stands in opposition toman’s, for it is His knowledge which produces the existents, and it is notthe existents which produce His knowledge.THE FOURTEENTH DISCUSSIONT’O REFUTE THEIR PROOF THAT HEAVEN IS AN ANIMALMOVING IN A CIRCLE IN OBEDIENCE TO GODGhazali says:The philosophers say also that heaven is an animal andpossesses a soul which has the same relation to the body ofheaven as our souls to our bodies, and just as our bodiesmove by will to their ends through the moving power of thesoul, heaven acts. And the aim of the heavens in theiressential movement is to serve the Lord of the world in away we shall relate.Their doctrine in this question is something that cannotbe refuted, and we shall not declare that it is impossible; forGod has the power of creating life in any body, and neitherthe size of a body nor its circular shape is a hindrance to itsbeing animated, for the condition of the existence of life isnot limited to a particular shape, since animals,notwithstanding their different shapes, all participate in thereception of life. But we claim their incapacity to reach thisknowledge by rational proof, even if it is true, and only theprophets through divine revelation or inspiration couldapprehend such a knowledge, but rational argument doesnot prove it; indeed, we do not even assert that it is373
Page 1 and 2:
TAHAFUT AL-TAHAFUT(The Incoherence
Page 3 and 4:
THE FOURTEENTH DISCUSSION: To refut
Page 5 and 6:
occupies the central place in the u
Page 7 and 8:
commentator of Plato and Aristotle,
Page 9 and 10:
and Physics, have left the religion
Page 11 and 12:
gives the philosophical arguments a
Page 13 and 14:
eternity of the world. Plato himsel
Page 15 and 16:
it is God who is passive; the impel
Page 17 and 18:
of events out of time is like the u
Page 19 and 20:
God everything is possible, a theor
Page 21 and 22:
by the philosophers, of the emanati
Page 23 and 24:
God possesses self-consciousness).
Page 25 and 26:
and is found in Thomas Aquinas and
Page 27 and 28:
He himself does not affirm that the
Page 29 and 30:
is immortal when he will see in him
Page 31 and 32:
For the unphilosophical, however, t
Page 33 and 34:
Concerning the Eternity of the Worl
Page 35 and 36:
for both agents, i.e. so far as the
Page 37 and 38:
an agent endowed with a power which
Page 39 and 40:
I say:analogous to our decision, it
Page 41 and 42:
I sayinadmissible and that to admit
Page 43 and 44:
I say:sun performs in twenty-four h
Page 45 and 46:
possible, not necessary, and he wou
Page 47 and 48:
valid so far as it concerns externa
Page 49 and 50:
do not know of any one who makes a
Page 51 and 52:
sophistical arguments is dishonest,
Page 53 and 54:
say that the age of the world is a
Page 55 and 56:
I say:that two blacks in two substr
Page 57 and 58:
I say:inside the world, neither con
Page 59 and 60:
similar things, a will which distin
Page 61 and 62:
whereas the globe of heaven is homo
Page 63 and 64:
constitute the poles. But the diffe
Page 65 and 66:
move itself in space, in a definite
Page 67 and 68:
deeds?’ May God make us perspicac
Page 69 and 70:
seeing are equivalent in the eye. T
Page 71 and 72:
would be no possibility of their av
Page 73 and 74:
through the medium of a being etern
Page 75 and 76:
This argument is sophistical. The t
Page 77 and 78:
and with Him there was the world an
Page 79 and 80:
I say:If we should say, for instanc
Page 81 and 82:
The primitive meaning of the two wo
Page 83 and 84:
of the fact that motion inheres nec
Page 85 and 86:
and then assumes a time which has n
Page 87 and 88:
I say:and places of the world. The
Page 89 and 90:
I say:eternal. So much as far as bo
Page 91 and 92:
I say:which doubles the whole of th
Page 93 and 94:
I say:world smaller than He has cre
Page 95 and 96:
I say:possible that the world might
Page 97 and 98:
I say:and possible at another?’ I
Page 99 and 100:
pronounce for one of these opposite
Page 101 and 102:
I say:existence whether earlier or
Page 103 and 104:
I say:and needs something to which
Page 105 and 106:
I sayThe second proof is that the i
Page 107 and 108:
I say:essence nor matter’ and the
Page 109 and 110:
I sayalthough it is not impressed o
Page 111 and 112:
Ghazali says:I say:As regards their
Page 113 and 114:
I say:He wants to force those who a
Page 115 and 116:
all his books this is most clearly
Page 117 and 118:
extension is nothing but time, and
Page 119 and 120:
concedes the existence of an entity
Page 121 and 122:
I say:connected with another condit
Page 123 and 124:
so only through the corruption and
Page 125 and 126:
that it passes into a relative non-
Page 127 and 128:
I say:the remainder; indeed He can
Page 129 and 130:
This theory of the flux of all exis
Page 131 and 132:
moments is constant, and how can wh
Page 133 and 134:
I say:which has a reasonable sense,
Page 135 and 136:
things are two: matter and form, an
Page 137 and 138:
I say:an imposture where their prin
Page 139 and 140:
I say:says that the lamp makes the
Page 141 and 142:
anterior to it. If God therefore is
Page 143 and 144:
it tends and has an inclination to
Page 145 and 146:
and to exclude the metaphorical sen
Page 147 and 148:
Ghazali says, answering in defence
Page 149 and 150:
I say:connected with Him, since the
Page 151 and 152:
from it, it exists, not when the th
Page 153 and 154:
All this is true. The act of the ag
Page 155 and 156:
of the water, for this happens afte
Page 157 and 158:
existence of the celestial bodies o
Page 159 and 160:
I say:We answer: The consequence of
Page 161 and 162:
one occurred, they gave three answe
Page 163 and 164:
is partly the cause of unity, partl
Page 165 and 166:
I say:is therefore nineteen; and th
Page 167 and 168:
each other is a theory not known am
Page 169 and 170:
defined acts can only arise from be
Page 171 and 172:
and earth that he should be of thos
Page 173 and 174:
I say:another be identical?’ we a
Page 175 and 176:
the universal, the other specific d
Page 177 and 178:
similar follows concerning the nece
Page 179 and 180:
I say:for this it really is. But th
Page 181 and 182:
I say:from His way and deviate from
Page 183 and 184:
We say:The philosophers tried to ac
Page 185 and 186:
bodies prior to them. Thus they wer
Page 187 and 188:
thinks only its own essence, and th
Page 189 and 190:
suppose its agent to act like an ag
Page 191 and 192:
draw this conclusion. For if the pr
Page 193 and 194:
And that one and the same existent
Page 195 and 196:
unique mover . And just as the remo
Page 197 and 198:
a plurality of existents without a
Page 199 and 200:
In this discussion of the intellect
Page 201 and 202:
I say:The meaning of this statement
Page 203 and 204:
I say:is the principle of these dif
Page 205 and 206:
the possible nature cannot become n
Page 207 and 208:
I say:a cause, what makes it imposs
Page 209 and 210:
qualitative, or in whichsoever of t
Page 211 and 212:
But if one should say to us: ‘Cer
Page 213 and 214:
receive a stronger degree of assent
Page 215 and 216:
as the differences depend on differ
Page 217 and 218:
moment from its action, the world w
Page 219 and 220:
And as to Ghazali's words:It is eas
Page 221 and 222:
However, it is not possible that th
Page 223 and 224:
without an initial term; and if you
Page 225 and 226:
I say:The difference between these
Page 227 and 228:
I say:cause, but not of the series
Page 229 and 230:
I say:If it is objected that this m
Page 231 and 232:
or non-eternity of the world, and w
Page 233 and 234:
THE FIFTH DISCUSSIONTO SHOW THEIR I
Page 235 and 236:
I say:colour because of a cause whi
Page 237 and 238:
black must be a colour either by bl
Page 239 and 240:
I say:The answer is that we concede
Page 241 and 242:
I say:composed of genus and species
Page 243 and 244:
necessary existent, and this is imp
Page 245 and 246:
For man before his existence has a
Page 247 and 248:
and it is thus their task to refer
Page 249 and 250:
identical with the knower of the sh
Page 251 and 252:
And when it is said that He is gene
Page 253 and 254:
I say:separate from matter is possi
Page 255 and 256:
exist both an essence and attribute
Page 257 and 258:
by themselves, just as, if their ex
Page 259 and 260:
If it is answered that the absolute
Page 261 and 262:
I say:need a subject, as is the cas
Page 263 and 264:
I say:If it is said: In the same wa
Page 265 and 266:
would have to exist by itself, and
Page 267 and 268:
essence is not true, for every esse
Page 269 and 270:
Composition is not like existence,
Page 271 and 272:
All their proofs where this problem
Page 273 and 274:
consciousness itself is denied. But
Page 275 and 276:
things, and our intellect, therefor
Page 277 and 278:
I say:both, for the plurality and t
Page 279 and 280:
be a knowledge in act and that ther
Page 281 and 282:
It may be said that if it is assert
Page 283 and 284:
And as to the affirmation of the ph
Page 285 and 286:
two existents which differ in an ex
Page 287 and 288:
Ghazali says:It may be said, `This
Page 289 and 290:
I say:beings should exist by themse
Page 291 and 292:
because they found that the acciden
Page 293 and 294:
And as to the term `substance’ wh
Page 295 and 296:
I say:black and white, fourness and
Page 297 and 298:
I say:constitution of the essence o
Page 299 and 300:
principle which is the cause of tha
Page 301 and 302:
Gods would have to be separated by
Page 303 and 304:
distinguished by the fact that one
Page 305 and 306:
one of these natures is superior to
Page 307 and 308:
Ghazali opposes this statement with
Page 309 and 310:
against them about colouredness and
Page 311 and 312:
I say:mediator, participates in thi
Page 313 and 314:
application of the term ‘necessar
Page 315 and 316:
meaning is to ask whether a thing p
Page 317 and 318:
we have rent them . . . ‘and the
Page 319 and 320:
Having assumed that they deny the q
Page 321 and 322: I say:plurality and duality on the
Page 323 and 324: assume one thing eternal by itself
Page 325 and 326: I say:But the body is not a means f
Page 327 and 328: views, or regarded this as permissi
Page 329 and 330: wisdom in the product itself, namel
Page 331 and 332: his attacks on the philosophers in
Page 333 and 334: I say:not possible, and your statem
Page 335 and 336: together, and the difference betwee
Page 337 and 338: I say:universe is known to God, and
Page 339 and 340: acknowledged in the case of this pr
Page 341 and 342: all things is attachment to matter
Page 343 and 344: simply the hot body that accepts co
Page 345 and 346: this conjunction and disjunction mu
Page 347 and 348: not imply (as he falsely affirms of
Page 349 and 350: I say:philosophers do, or abandon t
Page 351 and 352: consequences which follow from his
Page 353 and 354: But the knowledge of the Creator op
Page 355 and 356: I say:‘Well, let the seeing then
Page 357 and 358: acts which proceed from the arts, a
Page 359 and 360: the utmost excellence, which is kno
Page 361 and 362: move in circles and that between th
Page 363 and 364: This is what we wanted to do first,
Page 365 and 366: the person who takes up different p
Page 367 and 368: universals must, by admitting in Hi
Page 369 and 370: and if you acknowledge an eternal w
Page 371: I say:But one may say: Why is this
Page 375 and 376: I say:will, because His will has th
Page 377 and 378: they exclude heaven from this kind
Page 379 and 380: And as to his affirmation ‘that t
Page 381 and 382: also have to ask about these bodies
Page 383 and 384: THE FIFTEENTH DISCUSSIONTO REFUTE T
Page 385 and 386: Everything he says here about the p
Page 387 and 388: himself through trying to be in an
Page 389 and 390: For instance, when a man sees that
Page 391 and 392: on sublunary existence, so that, if
Page 393 and 394: I say:any case, has to be proved, s
Page 395 and 396: causes. Sometimes we know part of t
Page 397 and 398: particular perceptions; that is, th
Page 399 and 400: shows it to him by way of revelatio
Page 401 and 402: if, however, reason does riot perce
Page 403 and 404: And if they reverse this against us
Page 405 and 406: the irascible and the concupiscible
Page 407 and 408: study a problem common to theoretic
Page 409 and 410: terms of the conclusion are present
Page 411 and 412: The ancient philosophers did not di
Page 413 and 414: fire; for we regard it as possible
Page 415 and 416: To deny the existence of efficient
Page 417 and 418: is not necessary, the philosophers
Page 419 and 420: I say:notwithstanding the fact that
Page 421 and 422: fire-not, however, absolutely, but
Page 423 and 424:
When the theologians admit that the
Page 425 and 426:
the angels there should arise a qua
Page 427 and 428:
serpent, and the scorpion, for thei
Page 429 and 430:
identification of black and white i
Page 431 and 432:
objectionable, and contrary to comm
Page 433 and 434:
that the judgement of our intellect
Page 435 and 436:
from the wolf while it walks behind
Page 437 and 438:
I say:it receives from the angels k
Page 439 and 440:
about its premisses, for the major
Page 441 and 442:
I say:in the doctrine of the philos
Page 443 and 444:
a faculty in a body; and it follows
Page 445 and 446:
indivisible; if the relation, howev
Page 447 and 448:
fainting, drunkenness, and the illn
Page 449 and 450:
saying that knowing is the opposite
Page 451 and 452:
Such arguments are all arguments of
Page 453 and 454:
claimed to be its organ, so that it
Page 455 and 456:
I say:his head than to his heels, a
Page 457 and 458:
I say:others-yes, it may be that th
Page 459 and 460:
I say:anger and the observation of
Page 461 and 462:
that Plato was forced to introduce
Page 463 and 464:
I say:thing occurs, does not produc
Page 465 and 466:
separate substance has no opposite.
Page 467 and 468:
The Fourth DiscussionHaving finishe
Page 469 and 470:
which are attributed to Solomon. An
Page 471 and 472:
And all this, as you see, is confus
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?