to which one must submit, hearken, and obey. The second is the derivation of genuine proofs and conclusive demonstrations that yield true knowledge and complete certainty, rather than polemical arguments whose ultimate purpose is merely to leave an opponent unable to respond and silence him.

The third is its remarkable arrangement and elegant organization: following this method requires one to address every avenue of doubt and specious objection while avoiding padding and prolixity. All this can be appreciated only by someone who has already mastered most of the scholars’ discussions and gained a firm grasp of the principal inquiries of rational thinkers—those who establish the truth and those who advocate falsehood, those who agree and those who disagree. Only then can he understand the rational proofs and the intricate, powerful objections contained in this book. For I have seldom discussed first principles and premises; rather, most of my attention has been devoted to