A Critique of Ghiasuddin Dashtaki's Perspective Compared to Ibn Sina’s on Proliferation of Unity

Abstract

<strong> </strong> Proliferation of unity is one of the most important and controversial topics among Islamic philosophers. Ibn Sina has made an attempt to rationalize this issue by relying on the principle of Al-Wahed. In his view, the modes in the first intellect lead to the creation of two other entities: the second intellect and the first heaven. In a detailed description, he considers three modes in the first intellect, according to which, after the creation of the second intellect, the second mode of the astral spirit and the third mode of the mass of the first heaven will be realized. In his view, the existence of different modes in the first intellect is not in conflict with the principle of Al-Wahed, since these numerous and multiple modes form the necessities of the first emanated existential order, not that they have necessarily been emanated from the necessary existence. This problem has had a great impact on post-Ibn Sina philosophers, inasmuch as some believe that Ibn Sina’s account on this issue is intermingled with various ambiguities and problems. One of these thinkers is Ghiasuddin Dashtaki. In his book (Al-amali), he points out the inadequacy of Ibn-e Sina's argument. The author makes use of the comparative analysis to explore and analyze Ibn-e Sina’s argument.   <em> </em> <strong> </strong>