Avicenna on the Necessity of the Actual: His Interpretation of Four Aristotelian Arguments

Avicenna argues that God is the efficient and final cause of an eternally existing cosmos, using four Aristotelian arguments. These arguments include Aristotle's argument for the finitude of efficient causes, his proof for the prime mover, his argument against the Megarians, and his argument for the mutual entailment between the necessary and the eternal. Hatherly contends that when these arguments are correctly interpreted, the objections raised against them fail.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

Avicenna, a renowned philosopher and physician during the Islamic Golden Age, posited a profound notion regarding the existence of things. According to his understanding, everything that exists, while it exists, exists necessarily. However, it is important to note that not all beings exist with the same kind of necessity. Some beings exist necessarily per se, while others exist necessarily per aliud.

Avicenna's interpretation of four Aristotelian arguments serves as a key tool in demonstrating his belief in the necessity of the actual. These arguments include Aristotle's argument for the finitude of efficient causes in Metaphysics 2, his proof for the prime mover in Physics and Metaphysics 12, his argument against the Megarians in Metaphysics 9, and his argument for the mutual entailment between the necessary and the eternal in De Caelo 1.12.

In her book, Celia Kathryn Hatherly delves into the intricate details of how Avicenna employs these arguments to reach a seemingly un-Aristotelian conclusion. By correctly interpreting Avicenna's understanding of necessity and possibility, Hatherly argues that the objections raised against these arguments by his contemporaries and modern scholars fail.

Avicenna's philosophical framework revolves around the concept of necessity, which he defines as the impossibility of non-existence. He believed that everything that exists has a necessary cause, which cannot be eliminated or reduced to anything else. This notion of necessity forms the basis of his arguments regarding the existence of God and the eternality of the cosmos.

Through his interpretation of the Aristotelian arguments, Avicenna demonstrates that God is both the efficient and the final cause of the eternally existing cosmos. The efficient cause refers to the immediate cause of an effect, while the final cause refers to the ultimate purpose or goal. Avicenna argues that God is the ultimate final cause of the cosmos because he is the necessary being that exists necessarily per se.

In conclusion, Avicenna's notion of the necessity of the actual provides a profound insight into the nature of existence. His interpretation of four Aristotelian arguments serves as a powerful tool in demonstrating his belief in the necessity of the actual and the ultimate cause of the cosmos. By correctly interpreting his understanding of necessity and possibility, Hatherly shows that the objections raised against these arguments fail, reinforcing the significance of Avicenna's philosophical legacy.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666904482