NATURE, MAN AND GOD IN MEDIEVAL ISLAM ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE Texts and Studies EDITED BY H. DAIBER and D. PINGREE VOLUME XLV NATURE, MAN AND GOD IN MEDIEVAL ISLAM ' ABD ALLAH BAYDAWFs text Tawalic al-Anwar min Matalic al-Anzar ALONG WITH MAHMUD ISFAHANI's commentary Matalic al-Anzar, Shark Tawalic al-Anwar EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY EDWIN E. GALVERLEY AND JAMES W. POLLOCK VOLUME TWO BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON • KOLN 2002 This book is printed on acid-free paper Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Baydawi, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, d. 1286? [Tawali' al-anwar min matali' al-anzar. English] Nature, man and God in medieval Islam : 'Abd Allah Baydawi's text, Tawali' al-anwar min matali' al-anzar, along with Mahmud Isfahani's commentary, Matali' al-anzar, sharh Tawali' al-anwar / edited and translated by Edwin E. Calverley, and James W. Pollock. p. cm. — (Islamic philosophy, theology and science, ISSN 0169-8729 ; v. 45) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004121021 (set: alk. paper) 1. Islam—Doctrines. 2. Philosophy, Islamic. I. Isfahani, Mahmud ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, 1275 or 6-1348 or 9. Matali' al-anzar. English. II. Calverley, Edwin Elliott, 1882-1971. III. Pollock, James W. James Wilson), 1922- IV Title. V Series. BP166.B29513 2001 297.2^dc21 2001035904 Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufhahme Nature, man and God in medieval Islam / ed. and transl. by Edwin E. Calverley and James W. Pollock. - Leiden ; Boston ; Koln : Brill, 2001 (Islamic philosophy, theology and science ; Vol. 45) ISBN 90-04-12102-1 ISSN 0169-8729 ISBN 9004 12381 4 (vol. 1) ISBN 9004 12382 2 (vol. 2) ISBN 900412102 1 (set) © Copyright 2002 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorisation to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE Acknowledgments xv Translators' Introduction xvii A note on the translation, its edition and revision xvii A note on cAbd Allah Baydawi [d. 1316?] xxvi A note on Mahmud Isfahani [1276-1348] xxxviii THE TRANSLATION Foreword to the Commentary by Mahmud Isfahani 3 Foreword to the Subject Text by cAbd Allah Baydawi .... 9 Isfahani's Commentary to Baydawi's Text begins 10 AUTHORS' INTRODUCTION STUDIES IN LOGICAL REASONING Chapter 1: Principles of epistemology 28 1. The two phases of knowing: an alternation between a. and b 28 a. Concept formation regarding what is being perceived 28 b. Judgmental assent or dissent to features of the concept being formed 28 c. Each phase either by intuition or by rational acquisition of knowledge 28 2. Logical reasoning, the means of such acquisition 42 Chapter 2: Explanatory statements 48 1. Conditions that govern a definition 48 2. Classes of definitions 60 Razi's objections 64 Baydawi's reply to Razi 68 3. Realities definable and definitive 78 VI CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE Chapter 3: Argumentation 82 1. Kinds of argumentation 82 Analogical deduction 82 Investigative induction 82 Illustrative analogical deduction 82 2. Analogical deduction in the syllogism and its types 88 The hypothetical exceptive syllogism 94 The categorical connective syllogism and the four figures 98 Figures 1, 2, 3, 4; Summary of figures and moods 100 3. The premised materials of argumentation 123 Argumentation structured on rationality—proof, rhetoric, fallacy 123 Argumentation structured on authoritative tradition 133 Chapter 4: The distinguishing properties of sound logical reasoning 137 1. Sound logical reasoning yields knowledge 137 Objections of the Buddhists 139 Objections of the geometricians 147 Corollaries to the yield of knowledge 151 2. Sound logical reasoning is sufficient for knowledge of God 158 3. Sound logical reasoning is obligatory for knowledge of God 161 BOOK ONE REALITIES POSSIBLE Section 1: Universals Chapter 1: Classification of things known 171 1. According to the Ashacirah and the Mu'tazilah 171 2. According to the Philosophers and the Mutakallimun 176 Chapter 2: Existence and nonexistence 180 1. The conception of existence is intuitive 180 2. Existence is a commonality among all existents 187 A proof from negation 189 3. Existence is an addition to the quiddities 191 CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE Vll Ashcari's variant argument 196 Special case of the necessary existent 198 The philosophers' variant argument 209 A corollary 211 4. The nonexistent is not a certainty externally 213 Argument of the Mu'tazilah on the non-existent 217 5. The attribute-state is to be excluded 221 Chapter 3: Quiddity 229 1. On the quiddity itself 229 2. Classes of quiddity 234 Corollary regarding the simple quiddity 239 Corollary regarding the composite quiddity with distinguishable parts 241 Corollary regarding the composite quiddity with interpenetrating parts 242 3. Individuation 243 Whether individuation is existential 247 The philosophers' corollary 250 Chapter 4: Necessity and possibility, eternity and temporality 255 1. These subjects are intellectual entities having no external existence 255 2. The distinguishing properties of necessity 261 3. The distinguishing properties of possibility 266 The possibility makes a possible reality have need for a cause 266 Neither state of a possible reality has priority 281 A possible reality's existence depends upon an effective cause 283 A possible reality needs its effective cause as long as it exists 284 4. Eternity 287 5. Temporality 290 Chapter 5: Singularity and plurality 300 1. On the real nature of singularity and plurality 300 Singularity is not the opposite of plurality in essence 304 2. Classes of singularities 307 Vlll CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE 3. Classes of plurality 310 Objections regarding the black/white contrast 319 Some corollaries 320 Chapter 6: Cause and effect 326 1. Classes of cause 326 2. Multiple causes and effects 329 3. The difference between the cause's effective part and its limiting condition 336 4. Whether one thing can be both receiver and agent of causation simultaneously 336 Section 2: Accidents Chapter 1: General topics 341 1. The various kinds of accidental qualities 341 2. The impossibility of accidents transiting between substrates 346 3. Whether an accident can subsist in another accident 348 4. Whether accidents have permanent continuance 351 5. The impossibility of one accident subsisting in two substrates at once 355 Chapter 2: Quantity 360 1. Classes of quantity 360 2. Quantity in its essence and as an accident 363 3. On the nonexistential nature of quantities 365 4. Time duration 372 The external existence of time duration: arguments against 372 The external existence of time duration: arguments for .... 373 Theories on the nature of time duration 381 5. Place and void 387 Theories of place 387 Chapter 3: Quality 405 1. Sensate qualities 405 Classes of sensate qualities 405 CONTENTS OF VOLUME ONE IX Touch sensations 408 Temperature: heat 408 Temperature: cold 411 Humidity 412 Weight 413 Texture 416 Vision sensations 418 Color strength 421 Nature of light 422 Hearing sensations 427 Taste sensations 431 Smell sensations 433 2. Psychic qualities 434 The living nature [or, life and its absence] 434 Perception and knowledge 439 Corollaries to the mental form 457 The rational soul's four stages of intellectual development 460 The power of autonomous action and the willing nature 463 Pleasure and pain are self-evident concepts 469 Health and illness and related emotions 474 3. Qualities specific to quantities 476 4. Qualities of predisposition 477 Chapter 4: Accidents of relation 479 1. Whether they appear in external existence 479 2. The case of 'place-where' 482 Gradual motion-change in quantity, quality, position and place-where 488 General factors necessarily involved in gradual motion-change 498 Types of force required to make gradual motion-change necessary 506 Whether quiescence occurs when straight-line motion changes direction 510 3. The case of the adjunctive relationship 512 On priority in the adjunctive relationship 518
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