Critique of Fayyazi's Arguments against Prior Necessity (Rule of Causal Necessity)

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

associate professor of Imam Khomeini Research and Education Institute

Abstract

One of the most fundamental principles of metaphysics is that causality. By analyzing the principle philosophers have deduced conclusions including the causal necessity. To them, thing cannot come into existence unless it is already necessitated by its complete cause. This view is regarded as incorrect by theologians since in their eyes causal necessity undermines the basis of free will in free agents. That is why they rejected "necessity rule" and replaced "priority rule". On the other hand, some doctors of fiqh methodology (usuliyeen)  in the Imamiyya tradition hold causal necessity to be in counter with human free will though they endorse it in case of non-free agent. Fayyazi, however, took a view different from all. In his view a cause is existence-giving without necessitating or even giving priority to the effect. He offered some arguments for his claim which are subject to critical considerations in the present paper.

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