Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai’s Demonstrations For Invalidating The Idea Of Vicious Circle And Infinite Regress

One of the most important issues of philosophy is the problem of vicious cycle and infinite regress. As far as I could have found there are two studies, howover, in these two studies, the issue is approached more in terms of the science of Kalam. The problem of vicious circle and infinite regress is a part of the issue of causality. Because of the importance of the subject in the books written after al-Rāz？, the problem has been examined in independent chapters. Molla Sadra, in his Asfar, examines the problem in detail by giving a large place to the demonstrations (burhan) used by the mutakallim？n (theologians). The aim of the article is to draw attention to Tabataba？ and the issue of causality. Mutakallim？n have developed many demonstrations against the possibility of infinite regress. Among them is the burhan al-tatbiq that infinite both sides of a line and only one infinite side of a line are not equal to one another when the both lines are matched. These two directions are applied to each other in the direction of descending and ascending. Thus, the impossibility of the infinite direction is evident. As for the burhan al- tazayuf, it is based on the fact that the concepts of cause and effect are relative. If the causes and effects extend forever, they cannot end up in a first cause. If there is no existence of the first and last cause, the relative existence of the individuals as causes and effects in between cannot be realized. Another demonstration is that of burhan al-haysiyah. The fundamental thought of this demonstration is that the cause is prior to the effect. If one chain is that of causes and the other is that of effects and both are assumed to be two identical chains and then the both chains are considered in terms of their causes and effects, the first link of the chain of causes should be plus. The leading thinkers of Sufi metaphysics were not interested in this issue as the concept of wahdat al-wujud is greying the distinction between illah and ma’lul and argues that there is no fundamental aspect other than the relative structure of multiplicity. Accordingly, the chain formed by the contingent ones would fall from a whole view that appears as the interconnection of discrete chain of elements to the level of the one’s substantial and accidental appearances. In this case, there is no need to go backwards in order to form the chain of existent and reach the first cause, since the cause of eternity within the eternity and the cause of the all existent now and in all times is the existent itself. According to the definition of vicious