Effecting Ashari’s Understanding of Being on His Epistemology

Year 2018, , 15 - 32, 30.06.2018

Hüseyin Kahraman

https://doi.org/10.30523/mutefekkir.441641

Abstract

Abul-Hasan al-Ash'ari (d. 324/936) used the principle of the infiniteness of God’s will and power as the cornerstone of his perception of Kalam. This principle, by its very nature, requires the world to be in a state that does not accept the obligatory causality because it was the result of these attributes of God. Therefore it does not seem to be consistent to have a God that his will and power is unquestionable and a universe that is not entirely relying on that God. Imam Ash'ari, since he was a theologian, used the comparison of the unknown to known as a reasoning method from Mutaqaddimûn era. Since this method requires taking universe as a starting point, it also makes it necessary for universe to have a structure of its own. Otherwise, there won't be a logical ground for us to make it an argument for metaphysical field. Having an objective structure of its own means that universe which has been created, is not open to Divine intervention at any time and therefore it has a partial causality within. Since the notion of a God which does whatever he wants and does not have to do anything because of a necessi-ty, is not able to accept the causality in the universe, Ash'ari uses a reasoning method that won’t lead to obligatory causation. In this article, the effort of Ash'ari to find a solution for this problem he faced and the effects of this effort to the theology field are aimed to be laid down.

Abul-Hasan
al-Ash'ari (d. 324/936) used the principle of the infiniteness of God’s will
and power as the cornerstone of his perception of Kalam. This principle, by
its very nature, requires the world to be in a state that does not accept the
obligatory causality because it was the result of these attributes of God.
Therefore it does not seem to be consistent to have a God that his will and
power is unquestionable and a universe that is not entirely relying on that
God. Imam Ash'ari, since he was a theologian, used the comparison of the
unknown to known as a reasoning method from Mutaqaddimûn era. Since this
method requires taking universe as a starting point, it also makes it
necessary for universe to have a structure of its own. Otherwise, there won't
be a logical ground for us to make it an argument for metaphysical field.
Having an objective structure of its own means that universe which has been
created, is not open to Divine intervention at any time and therefore it has
a partial causality within. Since the notion of a God which does whatever he
wants and does not have to do anything because of a necessi-ty, is not able
to accept the causality in the universe, Ash'ari uses a reasoning method that
won’t lead to obligatory causation. In this article, the effort of Ash'ari to
find a solution for this problem he faced and the effects of this effort to
the theology field are aimed to be laid down.

Keywords

al-Ashari, al-Qadir al-Mukhtar, Causality and Syllogism

Eş‘arî’nin Varlık Anlayışının Epistemolojisine Etkisi

Abstract

Ebu’l-Hasan el-Eş'arî (ö. 324/936), kelâm anlayışının köşe taşlarını Allah'ın irade ve kudretinin sınırsızlığı ilkesi ile ördü. Bu ilke bütün yapısıyla âlemin, Allah'ın bu sıfatlarının sonucu olması hasebiyle zorunlu nedenselliği kabul etmeyen bir nitelikte olmasını gerektiriyordu. Zira bir taraftan irade ve kudreti sorgulanmayan bir tanrı diğer taraftan onun bu özelliklerine tamamıyla ram olmayan bir âlem tutarlı görünmemektedir. İmam Eş'arî, kelâmcı olmanın getirmiş olduğu bir tutumla, tanrı-âlem ilişkisini tutarlı bir şekilde ortaya koymaya çalışırken Mütekaddimîn döneminin temel istidlâl metodu olan gaibin şahide kıyasını kullandı. Bu metot âlemden yola çıkmayı gerektirdiğinden dolayı âlemin kendine has bir yapısı olmasını yani âlemde nesnel bir özün olmasını gerektirmektedir. Aksi takdirde metafizik alan için onu bir argüman haline getirmenin zemini olmayacaktır. Kendi yapısında nesnel bir öz taşıması demek meful konumundaki âlemin her an doğrudan ilahi müdahaleye açık olmadığı ve bundan dolayı kısmi nedensellik barındırdığı anlamına gelmektedir. Kâdir-i muhtâr tanrı anlayışı ise âlemde zorunlu nedenselliği gerektirecek hiçbir argümanı kabule elverişli olmadığından dolayı Eş'arî zorluk yaşamasına rağmen zorunlu nedenselliğe götürmeyecek bir istidlâlde bulunmaktadır. Bu makale Eş'arî’nin karşılaştığı bu probleme çözüm bulma çabası ve bunun kelâm ilmindeki etkilerini ortaya koymayı hedeflemektedir.

Keywords

Eş‘arî, Kādir-i Muhtâr, Nedensellik ve Kıyas

References

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