LessonsThe Indivisible Atom: Arguments, Infinite Division and ObjectionsQuiz

فإنه إنما يدل على ثبوت النقطة، وهو لا يستلزم ثبوت الجزء
It establishes at most a point, and the existence of a point does not entail the existence of an atom.

The objection identifies a shift from the kind of entity established by geometry to the kind asserted in metaphysics. A geometric point is not interchangeable with a physical or kalām substance.

The atomist still needs a further premise: every true contact must be realized through an independently subsisting indivisible material unit. The definition of an ideal sphere alone does not establish that premise.

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Why the sphere proof is not decisive

The Indivisible Atom: Arguments, Infinite Division and Objections

فإنه إنما يدل على ثبوت النقطة، وهو لا يستلزم ثبوت الجزء
It establishes at most a point, and the existence of a point does not entail the existence of an atom.

The objection identifies a shift from the kind of entity established by geometry to the kind asserted in metaphysics. A geometric point is not interchangeable with a physical or kalām substance.

The atomist still needs a further premise: every true contact must be realized through an independently subsisting indivisible material unit. The definition of an ideal sphere alone does not establish that premise.