Menoâs Paradox and First Principles in Fakhr al-DÄ«n al-RÄzÄ«
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Abstract
This article examines Fakhr al-DÄ«n al-RÄzÄ«âs (d. 606/1210) epistemology and his understanding of syllogistic reasoning through a consideration of Menoâs paradox. It focuses on later works, namely, al-Maá¹Älib al-Ê¿Äliya, KitÄb al-Jabr, and al-TafsÄ«r al-kabÄ«r as well as his treatment of the subject in al-Mulakhkhaá¹£ fÄ« l-ḥikma. Informed by the theories of epistemology developed through the philosophical tradition of Menoâs paradox and first principles, RÄzÄ« views all knowledge formed through syllogistic reasoning as dependent on axiomatic truths (al-badÄ«hiyyÄt), a concept with roots in both the philosophical and theological traditions. These first principles are formed immediately upon the presence of the requisite concepts in the mind, and thus comprise RÄzÄ«âs implicit response to the paradox in that all subsequent knowledge does indeed require previous fundamental knowledge that is not sought nor acquired voluntarily. Finally, the article discusses a separate paradox implicit in RÄzÄ«âs works, namely that he both asserts in sections treating divine determinism that no knowledge can in fact be acquired whatsoever while elsewhere emphasizing the fundamental importance of knowledge acquisition.
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Menoâs Paradox and First Principles in Fakhr al-DÄ«n al-RÄzÄ«
In: OriensSearch for other papers by Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This article examines Fakhr al-DÄ«n al-RÄzÄ«âs (d. 606/1210) epistemology and his understanding of syllogistic reasoning through a consideration of Menoâs paradox. It focuses on later works, namely, al-Maá¹Älib al-Ê¿Äliya, KitÄb al-Jabr, and al-TafsÄ«r al-kabÄ«r as well as his treatment of the subject in al-Mulakhkhaá¹£ fÄ« l-ḥikma. Informed by the theories of epistemology developed through the philosophical tradition of Menoâs paradox and first principles, RÄzÄ« views all knowledge formed through syllogistic reasoning as dependent on axiomatic truths (al-badÄ«hiyyÄt), a concept with roots in both the philosophical and theological traditions. These first principles are formed immediately upon the presence of the requisite concepts in the mind, and thus comprise RÄzÄ«âs implicit response to the paradox in that all subsequent knowledge does indeed require previous fundamental knowledge that is not sought nor acquired voluntarily. Finally, the article discusses a separate paradox implicit in RÄzÄ«âs works, namely that he both asserts in sections treating divine determinism that no knowledge can in fact be acquired whatsoever while elsewhere emphasizing the fundamental importance of knowledge acquisition.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 934 | 159 | 16 |
| Full Text Views | 198 | 9 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 341 | 30 | 0 |
