Historical background Kalam cosmological argument

the kalam cosmological argument based on concept of prime-mover, introduced aristotle, , entered christian or neoplatonist philosophy in late antiquity, being developed john philoponus. along of classical greek philosophy, concept adopted medieval islamic tradition, received fullest articulation @ hands of muslim scholars, directly islamic theologians of sunni tradition.

its historic proponents include al-kindi, al-ghazali, , st. bonaventure.

one of earliest formulations of cosmological argument in islamic tradition comes al-kindi (9th century), 1 of first islamic philosophers attempt introduce argument existence of god based upon purely empirical premises. chief contribution cosmological argument (dalil al-huduth) existence of god, in work on first philosophy . writes:

every being begins has cause beginning; world being begins; therefore, possesses cause beginning.

between 9th 12th centuries, cosmological argument developed concept within islamic theology. refined in 11th century al-ghazali (the incoherence of philosophers), , in 12th ibn rushd (averroes). reached medieval christian philosophy in 13th century, , discussed bonaventure, thomas aquinas in summa theologica (i, q.2, a.3) , summa contra gentiles (i, 13).

islamic perspectives may divided positive aristotelian responses supporting argument, such al-kindi, , averroes, , negative responses critical of it, including al-ghazali , muhammad iqbal. al-ghazali unconvinced first-cause arguments of al-kindi, arguing infinite per se impossible, arguing possibility of infinite per accidens. writes:

according hypothesis under consideration, has been established beings in world have cause. now, let cause have cause, , cause of cause have yet cause, , on ad infinitum. not behove infinite regress of causes impossible.

muhammad iqbal stated:

finite effect can give finite cause, or @ infinite series of such causes. finish series @ point, , elevate 1 member of series dignity of un-caused first cause, set @ naught law of causation on whole argument proceeds.




^ duncan, s., analytic philosophy of religion: history since 1955 (2010), humanities-ebooks, p. 165.
^ al-kindi, on first philosophy, introduction , commentary alfred l. ivry (albany, n. y.: state university of new york press, 1974), pp. 67–75
^ al ghazali, kitab al lqtisad, foreword Î. a. Çubukçu , h. atay (ankara: university of ankara press, 1962), pp. 15–16.
^ francis j. kovach, question of eternity of world in st. bonaventure , st. thomas – critical analysis , southwestern journal of philosophy 5 (1974), pp. 141–172.
^ smith, 2007: 183
^ craig, 2000
^ nasr, trans. seyyed hossein, introduction islamic cosmological doctrines. albany : state university of new york press, 1993 pp. 168
^ craig, 1994: 80
^ averroes, ibn rushd, incoherence of incoherence (tahafut al-tahafut) london:luzac, 1954, pp. 58
^ iqbal, muhammad reconstruction of religious thought in islam lahore:institute of islamic culture, 1986
^ al-ghazzali, tahafut al-falasifah (the incoherence of philosophers), translated sabih ahmad kamali. lahore: pakistan philosophical congress, 1963 pp. 90–91