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    The First Being has no form. — Carmelics
    Home/Divine Attributes
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    The First Being has no form.

    Divine AttributesNatural Theology
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.Nothing can have a form unless it also has an underlying matter.
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    • 2.The First Being has no underlying matter (no material cause).
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.The hylomorphic axiom that form requires matter applies only to sublunary composites, not to separate intellects or divine beings in Aristotelian cosmology.
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    • 2.Al-Farabi's own emanationist hierarchy treats the separate intellects as immaterial forms, suggesting formhood does not entail materiality.
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    • 3.Denying the First Being any form risks collapsing it into pure indeterminate privation, undermining its role as the source of all formal determination in creation.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
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    • 1.Form can exist without matter as pure actuality, as Aristotle argues in Metaphysics Lambda where the Unmoved Mover is identified as pure form.
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    • 2.If the First Being is pure actuality (as al-Farabi himself holds), it exemplifies the highest form of formal being rather than lacking form entirely.
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    Topics

    Divine AttributesNatural Theology

    Connections

    1 topic

    Modality & Possibility1 linked

    Related

    Al-Farabi's own emanationist hierarchy treats the separate intellects as immater...Denying the First Being any form risks collapsing it into pure indeterminate pri...Form can exist without matter as pure actuality, as Aristotle argues in Metaphys...If the First Being is pure actuality (as al-Farabi himself holds), it exemplifie...
    +3 moreShow less
    Nothing can have a form unless it also has an underlying matter.The First Being has no underlying matter (no material cause).The hylomorphic axiom that form requires matter applies only to sublunary compos...

    Similar

    Matter lacks form and quality.80%God does not exist.76%Matter is unlimited, indefinite, without form and quality.75%The First is simple, i.e., has no internal composition75%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: al-farabi-metaphysics
    View source passageHide passage
    At a first stab: Fârâbî argues that, if something is “first” in the sense that nothing is prior to it, it cannot be dependent on anything for its existence or for its continuation in existence. Therefore it has existed without beginning and will exist without end, and has no potentiality for not existing. It has no efficient cause, but also no material cause: if it had a material cause, its matter would be prior to it, and presumably it would also depend on an efficient cause to turn its matter
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit