16
We have already stated that the great majority of Muslim speculative thinkers, as well as others, maintain that nonexistence requires no effective cause. I know of no speculative thinker who held that the nonexistence of a possible entity requires an effective cause except this small group of later (1) philosophers, such as Avicenna and his followers. Otherwise, this was not the position of the ancient philosophers—not Aristotle, nor his followers such as Proclus (2), Alexander of Aphrodisias (3), the commentator on his works, and Themistius (4), nor any others [among the
(1) N and M read: “later.”
(2) Proclus, the last and most celebrated representative of Neoplatonism, was born in Constantinople in AD 412. He studied philosophy in Alexandria and then in Athens, eventually becoming head of its philosophical school. Proclus held that the world is eternal. He died in 485. Ibn al-Nadīm gives his biography and lists his works in *al-Fihrist* (The Catalogue), pp. [0–9]52–253. Al-Shahrastānī presents his arguments for the eternity of the world in *al-Milal wa-l-nihal* (Religions and Sects), 2:157–162. Dr Abd al-Rahmān Badawī published a treatise by Proclus on the eternity of the world, together with other treatises, in *al-Aflātūniyya al-muhdatha inda al-Arab* (Neoplatonism among the Arabs), Cairo, 1955.
(3) N and M vocalize the name *al-Afrudiyūsī*; A and B, *al-Afrudīyūsī*. The established form adopted here is the one found in most Arabic biographical works. Alexander of Aphrodisias was one of the foremost commentators on Aristotle. He was born in Aphrodisias in Asia Minor and taught Aristotelian philosophy in Athens between 198 and 211. See Yūsuf Karam, *Tārīkh al-falsafa al-yūnāniyya* (History of Greek Philosophy), p. [0–9]2, Cairo, 1958. For his biography and works, see Ibn Abī Usaybia, 1:105–107; Ibn al-Nadīm, *al-Fihrist*, pp. [0–9]52–253; and *al-Milal wa-l-nihal*, 2:163–164. Dr Abd al-Rahmān Badawī published several of Alexander’s treatises in *Aristū inda al-Arab* (Aristotle among the Arabs).
(4) A and B read: “Alexander al-Afradyūsī, the commentator on the works of Themistius,” which is erroneous. The name Themistius appears as *Tāmasyutūsa* in M and as *Tāmasyutūsu* in A and B. Themistius was one of Aristotle’s commentators, although he was a Neoplatonist. He was born in AD 317, lived in Constantinople, and supported Emperor Julian’s efforts to revive paganism. He died in 388. See Yūsuf Karam, the previously cited work, p. [0–9]03. For his biography and a discussion of his views and works, see Ibn al-Nadīm, p. [0–9]53; Ibn al-Qiftī, p. 107; and *al-Milal wa-l-nihal*, 2:162–163. In his aforementioned *Aristū inda al-Arab*, Dr Abd al-Rahmān Badawī published a treatise by Themistius and part of his commentary on *Maqālat al-Lām* (Book Lambda).
وَقَدَّمْنَا أَنَّ جَمَاهِيرَ نُظَّارِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَغَيْرَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ:
إِنَّ الْعَدَمَ لَا يَفْتَقِرُ إِلَى عِلَّةٍ، وَمَا عَلِمْتُ أَحَدًا مِنَ النُّظَّارِ جَعَلَ عَدَمَ الْمُمْكِنِ مُفْتَقِرًا إِلَى عِلَّةٍ إِلَّا هَذِهِ الطَّائِفَةَ الْقَلِيلَةَ مِنْ مُتَأَخِّرِيِ
(١)
الْمُتَفَلْسِفَةِ كَابْنِ سِينَا وَأَتْبَاعِهِ وَإِلَّا فَلَيْسَ هَذَا قَوْلَ قُدَمَاءِ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ لَا أَرِسْطُو وَلَا أَصْحَابِهِ كَبَرْقِلِسَ
(٢)
، وَالْإِسْكَنْدَرِ الْأَفْرُودِيسِيِّ
(٣)
شَارِحِ كُتُبِهِ، وَثَامَسْيُطُوسَ
(٤)
، وَلَا غَيْرِهِمْ [مِنَ
(١) ن، م: مُتَأَخِّرَةِ.
(٢) بَرْقِلِسُ proclus آخِرُ وَأَشْهَرُ مُمَثِّلِي الْأَفْلَاطُونِيَّةِ الْجَدِيدَةِ neoplatonism وُلِدَ بِالْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ سَنَةَ ٤١٢ (مِيلَادِيَّةً) وَتَلَقَّى الْفَلْسَفَةَ فِي الْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةِ ثُمَّ فِي أَثِينَا حَتَى صَارَ زَعِيمَ مَدْرَسَتِهَا الْفَلْسَفِيَّةِ، وَقَدْ كَانَ بَرْقِلِسُ مِنَ الْقَائِلِينَ بِقِدَمِ الْعَالَمِ، وَكَانَتْ وَفَاتُهُ سَنَةَ ٤٨٥. وَقَدْ تَرْجَمَ لَهُ ابْنُ النَّدِيمِ فِي الْفِهْرِسْتِ (ص [٠ - ٩] ٥٢ - ٢٥٣) وَذَكَرَ مُصَنَّفَاتِهِ وَأَوْرَدَ الشَّهْرَسْتَانِيُّ فِي الْمِلَلِ وَالنِّحَلِ ٢/١٥٧ - ١٦٢ أَدِلَّتَهُ عَلَى قِدَمِ الْعَالَمِ. وَقَدْ نَشَرَ الدُّكْتُورُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بَدَوِي رِسَالَةً لَهُ فِي قِدَمِ الْعَالَمِ (مَعَ رَسَائِلَ أُخْرَى) فِي كِتَابِهِ " الْأَفْلَاطُونِيَّةِ الْمُحْدَثَةِ عِنْدَ الْعَرَبِ "، الْقَاهِرَةِ ١٩٥٥.
(٣) ن، م: الْأَفْرُدِيوُسِيَّ، أ، ب: الْأَفْرُدِيُوسِيَّ ; وَالْمَشْهُورُ مَا أَثْبَتْنَاهُ وَهُوَ الْمَوْجُودُ فِي أَكْثَرِ كُتُبِ التَّرَاجِمِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ. وَالْإِسْكَنْدَرُ الْأَفْرُودِيسِيُّ ale \ ander of aphrodisias مِنْ أَعْظَمِ شُرَّاحِ أَرِسْطُو وَقَدْ وُلِدَ فِي أَفْرُودِيسِيَا مِنْ أَعْمَالِ آسْيَا الصُّغْرَى، وَتَوَلَّى تَدْرِيسَ الْفَلْسَفَةِ الْأَرِسْطِيَّةِ فِي أَثِينَا مَا بَيْنَ سُنَّتِي ١٩٨، ٢١١. انْظُرْ تَارِيخَ الْفَلْسَفَةِ الْيُونَانِيَّةِ لِيُوسُفَ كَرَمٍ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٢، الْقَاهِرَةِ ١٩٥٨ ; وَانْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ وَمُصَنَّفَاتِهِ فِي ابْنِ أَبِي أُصَيْبِعَةَ ١/١٠٥ - ١٠٧ ; الْفِهْرِسْتَ لِابْنِ النَّدِيمِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٥٢ - ٢٥٣ ; الْمِلَلَ وَالنِّحَلَ ٢/١٦٣ - ١٦٤. وَقَدْ نَشَرَ لَهُ الدُّكْتُورُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بَدَوِيُّ بَعْضَ مَقَالَاتِهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ " أَرِسْطُو عِنْدَ الْعَرَبِ ".
(٤) أ، ب: وَالْإِسْكَنْدَرُ الْأَفْرَدْيُوسِيُّ شَارِحُ كُتُبِ تَامَسْيُطُوسَ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. وَتَامَسْيُطُوسَ themistius. (فِي (م) : تَامَسْيُطُوسَ ; (أ) ، (ب) : تَامَسْيُطُوسُ مِنْ شُرَّاحِ أَرِسْطُو مَعَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ أَفْلَاطُونِيًّا جَدِيدًا، وَقَدْ وُلِدَ سَنَةَ ٣١٧ م، وَعَاشَ فِي الْقُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةِ وَأَيَّدَ الْإِمْبِرَاطُورُ جُولْيَانُ فِي الْعَمَلِ عَلَى بَعْثِ الْوَثَنِيَّةِ، وَتُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ٣٨٨ م. انْظُرْ: يُوسُفَ كَرَمٍ، الْمَرْجِعَ السَّابِقَ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٠٣ ; وَانْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ وَالْكَلَامَ عَنْ آرَائِهِ وَمُصَنَّفَاتِهِ فِي ابْنِ النَّدِيمِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٥٣ ; ابْنِ الْقِفْطِيِّ، ص ١٠٧ ; الْمِلَلَ وَالنِّحَلَ ٢/١٦٢ - ١٦٣ وَقَدْ نَشَرَ لَهُ الدُّكْتُورُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بَدَوِيُّ فِي كِتَابِهِ " أَرِسْطُو عِنْدَ الْعَرَبِ " السَّالِفِ الذِكْرِ مَقَالَةً وَشَطْرًا مِنْ شَرْحِهِ لِمَقَالَةِ " اللَّامِ ".