Chance and Determinism in Avicenna and Averroes (Islamic Philosophy, Theology, and Science)

265 Pages·2007·1.5 MB·English

Chance and Determinism in
Avicenna and Averroes
Islamic Philosophy,
Theology and Science
Texts and Studies
Edited by
H. Daiber
VOLUME 69
Chance and Determinism in
Avicenna and Averroes
by
Catarina Belo
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2007
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Belo, Catarina C. M. de M. (Catarina Carriço Marques de Moura), 1974–
Chance and determinism in Avicenna and Averroës/by Catarina Belo.
p. cm. — (Islamic philosophy, theology, and science, ISSN 0169–8729; v. 9)
Revision of the author’s thesis (doctoral)—Oxford, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN-13: 978-90-04-15587-9 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 90-04-15587-2 (alk. paper)
1. Avicenna, 980–1037. 2. Averroës, 1126–1198. 3. Free will and
determinism—Religious aspects—Islam. 4. Philosophy, Islamic. I. Title.
B751.Z7B45 2007
2006051267
ISSN 0169-8729
ISBN 978 90 04 15587 9
© Copyright 2007 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Of your philosophy you make no use
If you give place to accidental evils
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
...il ne faut jamais dire le hasard, mon enfant, dites toujours la Providence.
Stendhal, Le Rouge et le Noir

CONTENTS
Note on Transliteration .............................................................. ix
Acknowledgements ...................................................................... xi
Introduction .................................................................................. 1
Determinism: the problem and some historical aspects ...... 1
Contemporary scholarship on Avicenna and Averroes with
reference to the issue of determinism .............................. 14
Synopsis .................................................................................... 17
Chapter One Avicenna on chance ........................................ 21
Introduction: chance and causality ........................................ 21
Chance and the frequency of events .................................... 24
Chance and evil ...................................................................... 38
Conclusion ................................................................................ 51
Chapter Two Avicenna on matter .......................................... 55
Introduction: the relation between matter and chance ...... 55
Matter and the material cause .............................................. 57
Matter and the material compound. Prime Matter ............ 66
Origin and preparation of matter .......................................... 73
Matter and desire .................................................................... 84
Conclusion ................................................................................ 87
Chapter Three Avicenna on celestial causation
and providence ........................................................................ 91
The necessary and the possible .............................................. 91
Emanation ................................................................................ 97
Causation in the supernal world: desire ................................ 105
Divine providence .................................................................... 108
God’s decree and determination: al-qa∂à" wa-l-qadar ............ 113
Conclusion ................................................................................ 119
Chapter Four Averroes on chance .......................................... 121
Introduction .............................................................................. 121
Chance and the frequency of events .................................... 124
viii contents
Chance: between the efficient and the final cause .............. 130
Averroes’ criticism of ancients schools and of Avicenna
concerning chance .............................................................. 144
Conclusion ................................................................................ 156
Chapter Five Averroes on matter and necessity .................... 159
Matter and potentiality, privation and desire ...................... 159
Necessity and possibility .......................................................... 168
Averroes versus Avicenna on necessary and possible beings 179
Conclusion ................................................................................ 185
Chapter Six Averroes on celestial causation and providence 187
Introduction .............................................................................. 187
Emanation, final causation and creation .............................. 188
Providence, evil and God’s decree and determination ........ 205
Conclusion ................................................................................ 222
Conclusion .................................................................................... 225
Bibliography ................................................................................ 233
General Index .............................................................................. 241
Index of Main Passages .............................................................. 251
NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION
For Arabic and Persian I have used the English Transliteration
System of the International Journal of Middle East Studies.
For Hebrew I have used the transliteration system of Vetus Testamentum.