The Possibility of the Nobler (imkÄn al-ashraf) in á¹¢adrÄâs Philosophy and Its Historical Origins
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Abstract
The principle known as the possibility of the nobler (qÄÊ¿idat imkÄn al-ashraf) is arguably one of the most often employed principles in later Islamic philosophy. In its standard formulation it states that if something baser exists, a nobler thing must have existed prior to it. A similar argument from the degrees of perfections has had a long career in the history of Western philosophy as well, with its beginnings reaching Stoicism. In Christian theology and philosophy it serves most importantly as a proof for the existence of God in the so-called henological argument of Aquinas. In Islamic philosophy it directly derives from the ex uno non fit nisi unum principle. Since the formulation of its standard version by al-SuhrawardÄ«, the validity of the principle has been conditioned on that it is only applicable to the intelligible beings, hence its main objective is to offer a proof for the existence of the intellects. The article analyzes the application of the principle in á¹¢adrÄâs philosophy and enquires about its historical roots.
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| å ¨é¨æé´ | è¿å»ä¸å¹´ | è¿å»30天 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| æè¦æµè§æ¬¡æ° | 963 | 223 | 12 |
| å ¨ææµè§æ¬¡æ° | 1575 | 104 | 40 |
| PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ° | 378 | 26 | 0 |
The Possibility of the Nobler (imkÄn al-ashraf) in á¹¢adrÄâs Philosophy and Its Historical Origins
äºOriensSearch for other papers by Agnieszka Erdt in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
The principle known as the possibility of the nobler (qÄÊ¿idat imkÄn al-ashraf) is arguably one of the most often employed principles in later Islamic philosophy. In its standard formulation it states that if something baser exists, a nobler thing must have existed prior to it. A similar argument from the degrees of perfections has had a long career in the history of Western philosophy as well, with its beginnings reaching Stoicism. In Christian theology and philosophy it serves most importantly as a proof for the existence of God in the so-called henological argument of Aquinas. In Islamic philosophy it directly derives from the ex uno non fit nisi unum principle. Since the formulation of its standard version by al-SuhrawardÄ«, the validity of the principle has been conditioned on that it is only applicable to the intelligible beings, hence its main objective is to offer a proof for the existence of the intellects. The article analyzes the application of the principle in á¹¢adrÄâs philosophy and enquires about its historical roots.
| å ¨é¨æé´ | è¿å»ä¸å¹´ | è¿å»30天 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| æè¦æµè§æ¬¡æ° | 963 | 223 | 12 |
| å ¨ææµè§æ¬¡æ° | 1575 | 104 | 40 |
| PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ° | 378 | 26 | 0 |
