The Geometrical Proofs of Atomism: A Study of Mulla Sadra’s and al-Farahari’s Arguments

Abstract

This paper tackles the controversy between the philosophers and the mutakallimun (theologians) concerning the existence of atoms. It achieves the task by presenting, elucidating, and examining a special kind of argument advocated by both parties to prove their position, i.e. the geometrical arguments. Particularly, it reconstructs the debate by looking at the geometrical proofs Mulla Sadra al-Shirazi gave against the existence of atoms in his commentary on Hidayat al-Hikma, and the ones provided by Abdulaziz al-Farahari in his super-commentary on al-Taftazani’s commentary on al-Aqaid al-Nasafiya. The paper offers a critical, logical analysis of the arguments provided by both of them. It argues that the geometrical arguments advanced by both -Sadra for the philosophers’  side, and al-Farahari for the side of the mutakallimun- face serious problems, circularity for the philosophers and the insufficiency of the argument to prove the thesis for the mutakallimun.