Abstract
This article examines Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s work entitled al-Hayūlā wa al-Sūrah, whose subject pertains
to a critique of the opinion, held by peripatetic philosophers such as al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā, that the “body” is com-
posed of matter and form. In this article, extant copies of the work are introduced; its name, date of writing, and
chronology in relation to the author’s other works are established, the authorship of al-Rāzī is demonstrated, and
finally the text is edited. As the next step, the issues addressed by the text are identified. In this context, al-Rāzī’s
critiques on the definition and the reality of the body, and on the body as being composed of matter and form are
discussed. In particular, those works of al-Rāzī’s that deal with these issues - namely, al-Mabāhith, al-Mulakhkhas,
Jawābāt ‘an Shukūk al-Mas‘ūdī, Sharh al-Ishārāt, al-Hayūlā wa al-Sūrah, Lubāb al-Ishārāt, Sharh ‘Uyūn al-Hikma, and
al-Matālib - are discussed from a chronological perspective, their contents regarding the issues at hand are com-
pared, the development of proofs is shown, and tables demonstrating the change are presented. In the section
where the content is discussed, although the importance of the subject with regard to philosophical thought and
theological principles is touched upon, al-Rāzī’s thoughts on atomism have been particularly avoided. As we con-
tinued through the process of identifying al-Rāzī’s ideas, we found that throughout his scholarly career, he criti-
cized the notion of the body being composed of matter and form. We ascertained that instead of this definition,
he saw the body as having an entity with a single reality and essence, holding that spatiality, volume, extension
and the ability to be physically pointed at are all accidents that inhere in this essence and reality. We elaborated on
al-Rāzī’s idea that the body can be defined by the enumeration of its accidental attributes in question.
Keywords
Fakhr al-Dīn Al-Rāzī Ibn Sīnā Al-Hayūlā wa Al-§ūrah Matter Form BodyShare
Details
- Authors: Eşref Altaş, Prof. Dr., Istanbul Medeniyet University
- DOI: http: dx.doi.org/ 10.15808/Nazariyat.1.1.M0003
- Year: 2014 (November) / Volume: 1 / Issue: 1
- Page: 61-108
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