Document Type : Research
Authors
1
Corresponding Author, Master's Student in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
3
Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
The question of how the multiplicity observed in the world emanates from the First Cause has been a subject of contention and diverse opinions among monotheistic thinkers, particularly Islamic philosophers and theologians. The central issue in this discussion is the Rule of the One (qā'ideh al-wāḥid), which has led to numerous disagreements regarding its validity and interpretations. In this article, using an analytical-descriptive method, some opinions on this issue are first critiqued. Subsequently, to achieve a correct explanation of the creation of multiplicity, the claim of the Principle of Similarity is examined and proven, showing that, contrary to some views, this principle should not be used to prove the Rule of the One (qā'ideh al-wāḥid); rather, the rule can be established by carefully defining the complete cause (illat tāmmeh). After proving that, according to the correct formulation of the qā'ideh al-wāḥid, every single complete cause has a single effect, the manner of creating multiplicity in effects can be explained in a way similar to Khāja Naṣīr's exposition in Sharḥ al-Ishārāt, such that the qā'ideh al-wāḥid is not violated, and the objections of its opponents are not applicable. In the present article, to simplify the understanding of this issue, by proving that the causal relationship is an instance of the function in mathematics, the emanation of multiplicity from the First Cause is modeled, and finally, the advantages of this modeling are stated.
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