Is This The Best Argument For God's Existence?

Summary

The video script delves into the philosophical musings of Ibn Sina, known as Avicenna in the West, exploring his influential argument for the existence of God, the 'Proof of the Truthful'. It examines the concepts of contingency and necessity, positing that all contingent beings depend on a necessary existence, which by definition must exist without cause. This argument not only supports the Islamic principle of monotheism but also aligns with the theological tenets of the Islamic religion, offering a profound perspective on the nature of God.

Takeaways

• 📚 Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, is recognized as a highly influential polymath and philosopher in history.
• 🌏 His works significantly impacted both the Islamic intellectual tradition and European thought, including the Scholastic tradition.
• 💡 Avicenna is famous for providing a celebrated argument for the existence of God, known as the 'Proof of the Truthful', based on the concepts of contingency and necessity.
• 🔍 In his argument, God is defined as the necessary existence, which is distinct from contingent or possible existences that depend on something else for their existence.
• 🤔 Avicenna explores whether all things are contingent or if there is a necessary existent that exists by itself without depending on anything else.
• ⛓ He argues that if everything is contingent, there must be an infinite regress of causes, which logically leads to the conclusion of a necessary existence.
• 🌐 This necessary existence is beyond time and space, indivisible, and immaterial, aligning with the Islamic conception of God as being one and unique.
• 🚫 Avicenna refutes the possibility of multiple necessary beings, arguing that if two such beings existed, they would be composed of parts, making them contingent and caused.
• 🔑 The argument concludes that there must be one and only one necessary existent, which is God, possessing the characteristics outlined in the argument.
• 📘 Avicenna's proof has been influential throughout history and is still studied and discussed in the context of philosophical theology.
• 🎥 For a more detailed explanation, the script suggests checking out Dr. Khani's channel 'Thinking Islam' for a video with visuals and graphs on this argument.

Q & A

Who is the Persian Muslim philosopher referred to as 'Aisa is' in the West?

The philosopher referred to as 'Aisa is' in the West is Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, who was a polymath and philosopher with significant influence on both Islamic and European intellectual traditions.

What is the Proof of the Truthful?

The Proof of the Truthful is an argument for the existence of God based on the concepts of contingency and necessity, which is attributed to Ibn Sina and is considered one of the most celebrated arguments in the history of philosophy.

What does it mean for something to be 'contingent' in the context of Ibn Sina's argument?

In the context of Ibn Sina's argument, 'contingent' refers to something that could exist but might as well not exist; it is dependent on or conditioned by something else for its existence, which is its cause.

What is the difference between a contingent existence and an impossible existence according to Ibn Sina?

A contingent existence is something that could exist but might not, depending on its cause. An impossible existence, such as a round square, cannot exist because it is a logical contradiction, and thus does not enter into the argument for God's existence.

What is the logical conclusion of the argument that considers the totality of all contingent things as a whole?

The logical conclusion is that the whole set of all contingent things cannot be necessary because it is dependent on its parts, which are contingent. This leads to the argument that there must be a cause external to all contingent things, which is a necessary existence.

How does Ibn Sina argue against the idea that the chain of contingent existence could go on infinitely?

Ibn Sina argues that if the chain of contingent existence were to go on infinitely, each unit in the chain would still be contingent and the whole chain would depend on these units, making it necessary through another cause, which contradicts the idea of an infinite chain.

What are the four options Ibn Sina presents regarding the totality of all contingent things?

The four options are: 1) The totality does not require a cause at all and is therefore necessary. 2) The totality is caused by all its units. 3) One unit in the chain is the cause of the totality. 4) The totality requires a cause external to all its units, which is the remaining truth and leads to the conclusion of a necessary existence.

What characteristics must the necessary existence have according to Ibn Sina's argument?

The necessary existence must be beyond time and space, indivisible, immaterial, incorporeal, and unlike anything in the world in terms of genus or species. It must be simple, unified, and partless, with its essence being existence itself.

How does Ibn Sina prove that there can only be one necessary existence or God?

Ibn Sina argues that if there were two or more necessary beings, they would have to be composed of parts that make them distinct from each other, which would contradict their necessity. Therefore, there must be only one necessary existent, affirming the principle of monotheism.

What additional resource is suggested for a more detailed understanding of Ibn Sina's argument?

For a more detailed understanding of Ibn Sina's argument, the script suggests checking out Dr. Khani's channel called 'Thinking Islam,' where there is a video dedicated to this argument with visuals and graphs.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Ibn Sina's Argument for God's Existence

This paragraph introduces the Persian philosopher Ibn Sina, known as Avicenna in the West, who is renowned for his significant contributions to both Islamic intellectual tradition and European Scholasticism. Avicenna is particularly famous for his proof for the existence of God, known as the 'Proof of the Truthful', which is based on the concepts of contingency and necessity. The proof begins by defining God as a necessary existence, contrasting it with contingent existences that depend on something else for their being. Avicenna argues that most things in the world are contingent, existing due to their causes and conditions, and that nothing in the world necessarily exists in itself. This leads to the exploration of whether all existence is contingent or if there is a necessary existent that exists by its own nature, independent of any external cause.

05:00

🔍 The Infinite Regress and Necessary Existence

The second paragraph delves into the implications of an infinite regress of contingent existences and the logical necessity of a non-contingent, or necessary, existence. It discusses the idea that if all things are contingent, there must be a 'first cause' or necessary existence that does not depend on anything else for its existence. The paragraph refutes the notion that the totality of all contingent things could be necessary, as a whole is only as necessary as its parts, and since the parts are contingent, the whole is also contingent. Avicenna argues that the only logical conclusion is the existence of a cause external to the set of all contingent things, a cause that is uncaused and necessary in itself, which he equates with the concept of God.

10:01

🌟 Characteristics of the Necessary Existence (God)

In the final paragraph, the characteristics of the necessary existence, identified as God, are explored. It is established that this necessary existence must be beyond time and space, indivisible, simple, unified, and immaterial to avoid dependency on any physical components. Avicenna further argues that this necessary existence is unique, as the existence of multiple necessary beings would imply composition and thus contingency. The paragraph concludes by aligning the necessary existence with the Islamic conception of God, emphasizing the principle of tawhid or monotheism. The summary also suggests viewers refer to Dr. Khani's 'Thinking Islam' channel for a more detailed visual explanation of Avicenna's argument.

Keywords

💡Ibn Sina

Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna in the Western world, was a Persian Muslim polymath and philosopher who significantly influenced Islamic intellectual tradition and European thinking. His works spanned various fields, including philosophy, medicine, and theology. In the script, he is credited with providing one of the most impressive arguments for the existence of God, known as the 'Proof of the Necessary Existent'.

💡Polymath

A polymath is an individual with extensive knowledge in various fields, often crossing the boundaries of different disciplines. In the context of the video, Ibn Sina is described as one of the most influential polymaths, indicating his broad intellectual contributions and expertise in multiple areas of thought.

💡Contingency

Contingency in the script refers to the concept of something being dependent on or conditioned by something else for its existence. It is a central theme in Ibn Sina's argument for the existence of God, where he posits that most things in the world are contingent, meaning they could exist or not exist, and their existence is not self-necessary.

💡Necessity

Necessity, as discussed in the script, is the opposite of contingency and refers to the concept of something that must exist by its own nature and is not dependent on anything else for its existence. In the context of Ibn Sina's argument, God is defined as the 'necessary existence,' which is the uncaused cause of all contingent beings.

💡Proof of the Necessary Existent

This is the central argument presented by Ibn Sina for the existence of God. It is based on the concepts of contingency and necessity, arguing that since most things are contingent, there must be a necessary existent that does not depend on anything else for its existence, which is God.

💡Scholastic Tradition

The Scholastic tradition refers to a method of teaching and learning in medieval Europe that was based on the works of Aristotle and other philosophers. In the script, it is mentioned that Ibn Sina's works had a significant impact on this tradition, inspiring European thinkers and shaping their intellectual discourse.

💡Medicine

The script mentions that Ibn Sina wrote a work on medicine that became a standard textbook in Europe until the early modern period. This highlights his contributions not only to philosophy but also to the field of medical science.

💡Aristotelian

Aristotelian refers to the philosophical ideas and teachings of Aristotle, a Greek philosopher. In the script, the term is used to describe the influence of Aristotle's concept of the 'first cause' on Ibn Sina's argument for the existence of God.

💡Theological Tenets

Theological tenets are the fundamental principles or doctrines of a religion. In the context of the video, the script discusses how Ibn Sina's argument aligns with the theological tenets of the Islamic religion, particularly the concept of Tawhid, or monotheism.

💡Tawhid

Tawhid is the Islamic doctrine of the oneness and uniqueness of God. The script explains that Ibn Sina's argument for the existence of a single necessary existent supports the Islamic principle of Tawhid, affirming the existence of one God.

💡Incorporation

Incorporation in the script refers to the concept that God, as the necessary existent, cannot be made up of parts or be dependent on any physical body. It emphasizes the simplicity and indivisibility of God's essence, which is a key attribute in Ibn Sina's conception of the divine.

Highlights

Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna in the West, is renowned as one of history's most influential polymaths and philosophers.

He had a profound impact on both Islamic intellectual tradition and European thought, inspiring the Scholastic tradition.

Avicenna wrote a medical work that served as a standard textbook in Europe until the 18th century.

His most famous philosophical contribution is the 'Proof of the Truthful', an argument for the existence of God based on contingency and necessity.

In Avicenna's philosophy, God is defined as the necessary existence, distinct from contingent or possible existences.

Contingent beings are those that could exist or not exist, dependent on something else for their existence.

Avicenna argues that most things in the world are contingent and caused, not existing by necessity.

The concept of 'cause' in Avicenna's argument extends beyond temporal causation to the conditions that make something exist.

Avicenna challenges the idea that the totality of all contingent things could be a necessary existence, demonstrating its contingency.

He refutes the possibility of an infinite chain of contingent existence, leading to the conclusion of a necessary existent.

Avicenna's argument concludes that there must be an uncaused cause, a necessary existence external to all contingent beings.

This necessary existence is described as being beyond time and space, simple, unified, and partless.

Avicenna asserts that the necessary existence is immaterial and unlike anything in the world, aligning with the Islamic conception of God.

He further argues for the singularity of the necessary existent, refuting the possibility of multiple necessary beings.

Avicenna's proof is an influential argument that has shaped theological and philosophical discussions on the existence of God.

For a more detailed exploration of Avicenna's argument, Dr. Khani's 'Thinking Islam' channel is recommended.

Avicenna's proof aligns with Islamic theological tenets, particularly the principle of tawhid or monotheism.

Transcripts

the Persian Muslim philosopher Ian Cena

more widely known in the west as Aisa is

one of the most influential and

impressive polymaths and philosophers in

history not only did he significantly

influence the islamicate intellectual

tradition he also had a major impact on

European uh thinking uh inspiring the

Scholastic tradition and even writing a

work on medicine that would be a

standard textbook of medicine in Europe

right up until the early modern period

around the 18th

century but another thing that iban CA

is mostly famous for is providing one of

the most celebrated and perhaps

impressive arguments or proofs for the

existence of God in all of history this

is known as the proof of the truthful

and it is an argument that is based

primarily on the concepts of contingency

and

necessity to ibin ca God is defined as

the necessary existence

in

Arabic and what this means will become

clear as we go down the logical journey

of this

argument so when you look around in the

world everything that you see is

essentially

contingent now what does this mean to be

contingent is to be dependent on or

conditioned by something else in Arabic

iina uses the

term literally meaning possible existent

a contingent or possible existence is

something that could exist but it might

as well not exist it is possible that it

exist and it is equally possible that it

doesn't exist and it is contingent that

is it is conditioned or dependent on

something else for its existence which

in this case would be its

cause now there are also impossible

existence to aena such as a round Square

for instance which can't exist because

you can't even imagine such a thing uh

this would be a complete category error

uh but we don't have to think about

these impossible existence anymore

that's not relevant to the argument now

on the other hand they could possibly be

a necessary existence something that uh

has to exist that per by itself by its

own Nature has to exist without being

dependent on anything else for its

existence not being caused by something

else in any case it seems that at least

most things in the world are contingent

and

caused and when I say caused that does

not simply mean that for example I exist

because my parents decided to have a

baby or that the table exists because

someone decided to make it this is also

true but with contingence and cause icen

means something more

profound I only exist because the parts

that make me up exist and in this

particular configuration I only exist

because the air that I breathe exists

and gives me life uh because of the just

right amount of heat on Earth so that I

don't freeze to death or burn to death

and every part of me that makes me what

I am is also in turn contingent being

dependent on and caused by its own parts

and conditions none of these things that

we think of and you know it's a thing

and then the thing that causes that

thing and then that thing none of these

things necessarily exist in themselves

there is nothing about their nature or

Essence that tells us that they have to

exist quote that to which possibility

belongs in essence does not come into

existence by its Essence for in as much

as it is possible existence by its

Essence is not more appropriate than

non-existence thus if its existence or

nonexistence becomes more appropriate

than the other that is because of the

presence or absence of a certain thing

respectively it follows that the

existence of every possible thing is

from

another so all contingent things are

contingent right they all dependent and

conditioned by something else they are

caused by something else so that begs

the question are all all things

contingent or is it possible that there

is a necessary existent something that

necessarily exists by itself without

depending on anything else this is what

abin aims to

investigate here a mamaka Buddhist might

simply say yes to the first question all

things are indeed contingent and

dependent in fact they would be saying

that there AR even things at all but

that's beside the

point whatever contingent existent we

take as our starting point it is either

dependent on or caused by a necessary

existence or by another contingent

existence I don't if you say the first

thing that what we consider contingent

is caused by a necessary existent then

the argument is done but of course since

most of us are probably scientific

rational people we would say that no

this microphone is contingent it is

dependent on or caused by other things

which are in themselves contingent and

dependent on other things in turn and so

on and again I want to stress that when

I say that something is caused by

another thing here I don't mean

temporally as we said but uh cause when

we say cause here it is those things

that make something exist and be what it

is at any given moment and we quickly

realize that we can do this at infinitum

an infinite stretch of contingent

existence oh but you might say at the

end there must be something that stops

that chain of dependence which in itself

isn't dependent on anything else before

it well then you have basically

concluded that there is a necessary

existence and the AR m is done but IB

Cena isn't this lazy let's instead

presume that all existence that we can

know are indeed

contingent but perhaps we can consider

that the whole chain or the whole set of

of all contingent things all things in

the universe taken together as a whole

that that whole maybe is

necessary right everything we can know

in the universe seems to be contingent

because everything is dependent on

something you know caused by something

else but that's unsatisfactory because

then why are there things at all if

everything is dependent on something

else where is the sort of source of

these things what is what is the first

cause as Aristotle would call it because

no matter how far we push the argument

we always end up with more contingence

and never reach a cause that stands on

its own in sort of independently that

start of the chain so again let's then

presume that perhaps the totality of all

contingent things this this whole this

whole set together is necessary while

you know all the individual constituents

of that hole are the contingent things

but that the hole itself is somehow

necessary this argument does not hold to

iina why because what is a totality it

is a collection or amalgamation of

Parts but if that whole is dependent on

parts to make it what it is it's no

longer necessary it too is contingent

because it is dependent on its

contingent parts and has been caused by

them quote if that other so one of the

existence in this chain of contingent

existence goes on to Infinity every one

of the units of the chain will be

possible in essence but the whole chain

depends on these units thus the chain

two will not be necessary and becomes

necessary through another he further

explicates on this point in the shat

quote every totality having every one of

its units as cost requires a cost EX

external to its units this is because

either one it does not require a cause

at all hence it is necessary and not

possible but how could this be so when

it is only necessitated by its units two

it requires a cause that is all its

units hence it is cause by itself that

totality and all its units are one thing

further cool in the sense of everyone is

not something through which the totality

is

necessitated three it requires a cause

that is some of its units but if every

one of its units is caused then some of

its units are not more deserving of

being the cause than some others the

reason is that the cause of the caus is

more deserving of being the cause or

number four it requires a cause external

to all units that is the remaining truth

he's giving us four options here the

first we've already covered to some

degree maybe the whole set or chain

taken as a whole doesn't need a cause

well we've already shown that it is

caused because it is dependent on its

constituent Parts asena said it is quot

necessitated by its

units the second option is that perhaps

all of the individual units are the

cause of the whole

set but this obviously doesn't make

sense because all the units are

contingent so they can't cause

themselves and therefore not the whole

either thirdly maybe one unit in the

chain is the cause but this is clearly

not the case either because again each

unit is contingent even if you would say

that one of the units isn't contingent

but necessary then that unit wouldn't be

part of the set anymore because the set

was a set of contingent things so it

would be outside the set and again our

problems would be solved so this doesn't

really solve the issue either we're only

left with the four option then to been

CA that is that the whole set of

contingent things the whole universe

with all its existence must require a

cause that is external to all its units

quote every totality organized of causes

and effect consecutive including a

non-aed cause has this uncaused cause as

an extremity for if the cause were an

intermediate it would be

caused so we have reached a kind of

inevitable conclusion based on The

Logical experiment that ABC is taking us

on there must be a necessary existence

that is external to the set of all

contingent or possible existence

something that per definition has to

exist and couldn't possibly not exist it

is the uncaused cause of all things

Beyond time and space and this necessary

existence

the is

God quote it has become clear that every

chain organized of causes and effects be

it finite or infinite is in need of a

cause external to it if it does not

include anything save

effects it is necessary that this

external cause be linked to it as an

extremity it has also become clear that

if this chain includes cles an UNCA

thing then this thing is an extremity

and a limit therefore Every Chain

terminates in that whose existence is

necessary in

itself but this also makes certain

things to be required for this necessary

existent it has to be Beyond time and

space as we said otherwise it would be

bound by those things and thus

contingent it can't be made up of any

parts it must be simple and unified a

partless reality because like we said if

it was made of a parts it would be

dependent on those parts thus caused by

those parts and suddenly it wouldn't be

a necessary existence anymore quote if

the essence of that whose existence is

necessary is composed of two or more

things that unite it becomes necessary

by them one of these things or every one

of them will be prior to it and a

constituent of it therefore that whose

existence is necessary is indivisible

whether in concept or in

quantity for the same reason the

necessary existence must be immaterial

incorporeal so as to not be dependent on

a body it's also unlike anything in the

world not sharing in the quiddity or

whatness of anything else in terms of

genus or species remember that we said

that the quiddity or Essence of God is

simply existence quote the first has no

alike no contrary no genus and no

difference thus it has no definition and

cannot be indicated except by pure

intellectual knowledge in this wayen

also takes this argument further by also

attempting to prove that this necessary

existence or God aligns with the

theological tenets of the Islamic

religion most importantly for this

perhaps is that the necessary existence

is one thus affirming the basic Islamic

principle of toed or monotheism after

all why does there have to be only one

necessary existent couldn't there be two

or three or even 10 well let's suppose

that there are two necessary beings

because they are two there must be

something that separates them so within

the reality of these two there must be

some things that make them similar and

thus necessary but also other aspects

that make them distinct from each other

otherwise they would be identical and

not two different things but if that is

the case then that means that they are

made up of parts or aspects in which

they are different from each other and

then they wouldn't be necessary anymore

but would be caused by those parts and

therefore both of them are now dependent

on some other actual truly necessary

existence so this is obviously absurd

there must in other words be only one

necessary existent or God who shares all

the characteristics or perhaps

non-characteristics that we have just

outlined so in a nutshell that is IB

Cena's proof for argument for the

existence of God uh an argument that has

become very influential throughout

history now if you want a more proper

rundown of this argument you should

definitely check out Dr khani's Channel

called thinking Islam where he presents

this argument he has a video dedicated

to this argument uh with visuals and

graphs that really

help explain it in an even better way so

he breaks it down more in a more

detailed and just I think in a better

way than I do in that video so go check

that out if you're interested thus IB

Cena believes that he has proven that

there is a necessary existence and that

that necessary existence necessarily has

certain features and qualities that

align with the Islamic conception of God

and I will see you next time

[Music]