LessonsThe Originator of the World: Necessary Existence, Infinite Regress and the Correspondence ProofQuiz

لو ترتب سلسلة الممكنات لا إلى نهاية لاحتاجت إلى علة
If a chain of contingent things extended without end, the chain as a whole would still require a cause.

This is the premise concerning a cause of the collection. Combining dependent members into an ordered system is held not to establish that the system is independent. The argument thus asks what explains the complete series.

A logical distinction is vital: “each member has a cause” and “the total collection requires a cause beyond itself” are not verbally identical statements. The text supplies a further reason for the latter; it should not simply be assumed from the wording of the former.

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A hypothesized beginningless chain of causes

The Originator of the World: Necessary Existence, Infinite Regress and the Correspondence Proof

لو ترتب سلسلة الممكنات لا إلى نهاية لاحتاجت إلى علة
If a chain of contingent things extended without end, the chain as a whole would still require a cause.

This is the premise concerning a cause of the collection. Combining dependent members into an ordered system is held not to establish that the system is independent. The argument thus asks what explains the complete series.

A logical distinction is vital: “each member has a cause” and “the total collection requires a cause beyond itself” are not verbally identical statements. The text supplies a further reason for the latter; it should not simply be assumed from the wording of the former.