نوع مقاله : علمی پژوهشی
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
The Sides and Middle Argument is one of Aristotle's well-known arguments for the impossibility of infinite regress, which Al-Farabi employed to prove the existence of God. A significant and undeniable feature of this argument is its reliance on the principle of causality. The central question of this study, which explores a less examined aspect of this argument, is: From what perspective is the sequence of effects in the Sides and Middle Argument dependent on a higher cause? Using a descriptive-analytical method and based on library data, this research seeks to analyze the ontological structure of the argument. The study concludes that the argument can be considered an external entity with causal efficacy, possessing both matter and form. The argument consists of three elements—the first side, the middle, and the final side—while its form is the principle of causality. Since the identity of things lies in their form, the identity of the Sides and Middle Argument is rooted in the principle of causality. The study finds that the resolution to the issue of causality in the Sides and Middle Argument must be sought within Al-Farabi's ontological system. In Al-Farabi's worldview, the ontological system is composed of existence (wujūd) and essence (māhīyyah), both of which he regards as entities. However, he attributes actuality, externality, and causality exclusively to existence. Therefore, causality in the Sides and Middle Argument pertains to the existence, originating from the Cause of all Causes (ʻillat al-ʻilal) and organizing the chain of causes and effects.
کلیدواژهها English
