Ontological argument Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Mulla Sadra=== {{See also|Transcendent theosophy}} [[Mulla Sadra]] (c. 1571/2β1640) was an [[Iranian philosophy|Iranian]] [[Shia]] [[Islamic philosophy|Islamic philosopher]] who was influenced by earlier Muslim philosophers such as Avicenna and [[Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi|Suhrawardi]], as well as the Sufi metaphysician [[Ibn Arabi|Ibn 'Arabi]]. Sadra discussed Avicenna's arguments for the existence of God, claiming that they were not ''a priori''. He rejected the argument on the basis that [[existence precedes essence]], or that the existence of human beings is more fundamental than their essence.<ref name="SEP Sadra">{{cite web | url=http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mulla-sadra/ | title=Mulla Sadra | publisher=Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy | date=9 June 2009 | access-date=2011-11-07 | author=Rizvi, Sajjad}}</ref> Sadra put forward a new argument, known as [[Seddiqin Argument]] or ''Argument of the Righteous''. The argument attempts to prove the existence of God through the reality of existence, and to conclude with God's pre-eternal necessity. In this argument, a thing is demonstrated through itself, and a path is identical with the goal.<!--which goal?--> In other arguments, the [[truth]] is attained from an external source, such as from the possible to the necessary, from the originated to the eternal origin, or from motion to the [[unmoved mover]]. In the argument of the righteous, there is no middle term other than the truth.<ref name="mullasadra">{{Cite web |url=http://www.mullasadra.org/new_site/english/Paper%20Bank/Knowledge%20of%20GOD/Ayatullahi.htm |title=Mulla Sadra's Argument of the Righteous and a Critical Study of Kant and Hume's Views on the Proofs of God's Existence |author=Reza Ayatullahi, Hamid}}</ref> His version of the ontological argument can be summarized as follows:<ref name="SEP Sadra" /> # There is existence # Existence is a perfection above which no perfection may be conceived # God is perfection and perfection in existence # Existence is a singular and simple reality; there is no metaphysical pluralism # That singular reality is graded in intensity in a scale of perfection (that is, a denial of a pure [[monism]]). # That scale must have a limit point, a point of greatest intensity and of greatest existence. # Hence God exists. Mulla Sadra describes this argument in his main work ''al-asfar al-arbaβa'' [four journeys] as follows: <blockquote>Existence is a single, objective and simple reality, and there is no difference between its parts, unless in terms of perfection and imperfection, strength, and weakness... And the culmination of its perfection, where there is nothing more perfect, is its independence from any other thing. Nothing more perfect should be conceivable, as every imperfect thing belongs to another thing and needs this other to become perfect. And, as it has already been explicated, perfection is prior to imperfection, actuality to potency, and existence to non-existence. Also, it has been explained that the perfection of a thing is the thing itself, and not a thing in addition to it. Thus, either existence is independent of others or it is in need of others. The former is the Necessary, which is pure existence. Nothing is more perfect than Him. And in Him there is no room for non-existence or imperfection. The latter is other than Him, and is regarded as His acts and effects, and for other than Him there is no subsistence, unless through Him. For there is no imperfection in the reality of existence, and imperfection is added to existence only because of the quality of being caused, as it is impossible for an effect to be identical with its cause in terms of existence.<ref>Asfar, Vol. 6, pp. 14β16.</ref></blockquote> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page