The Development of the Concept of Predication in Arabic Philosophy

Predication is a central theme in Arabic logic that has undergone significant semantic transformation throughout history. This article explores the evolution of predication's scope and meaning across four successive stages. Rather than pinpointing specific historical moments—given that these transitions lack clearly defined beginnings or endings—the focus is on key propositions that enrich our understanding of predication, drawing on the classifications of thinkers such as Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī (d. 950), Athīr al-Dīn al-Abharī (d. 1262-65), Mullā Ṣadrā (d. 1635), and Muhammad Ḥusayn Ṭabātabāʾī (d. 1981). The transition from the first to the second stage is characterized by the acceptance of natural propositions (ṭabīʿīya), while subsequent stages involve essential primary (dhātī awwalī) and stronger/weaker (ḥaqīqa-raqīqa) propositions. This progression illustrates a shift from expressing the properties of external objects to articulating the properties of concepts, ultimately culminating in the expression of identity between concepts and external entities. The four stages can be summarized as follows: (1) First-order predication; (2) Second-order predication; (3) Second-order identity; (4) First-order identity

Aesthetics · Arabic · Epistemology · Expression (computer science) · Focus (optics) · Identity (music) · Linguistics · Meaning (existential) · Order (exchange) · Scope (computer science) · Theme (computing) · Transition (genetics) · Chemistry · Computer Science · Islamic Studies and History · Islamic Thought and Society Studies · Medieval and Classical Philosophy · Philosophy

• Dawānī (d. 1502) and Dashtakī (d. 1498) on Primary (awwalī) and Familiar (mutaʿāraf) Predication

  Khaled El-Rouayheb•Oriens•2023

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