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To Establish the Existence of the Spiritual Faculties, the Detailed Analysis of which I have undertaken.

Whoso wishes to describe anything whatsoever before proceeding to establish first its6reality of existence, such a one is counted by the wise among those who deviate from the broad beaten track of perspicuous statement. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to first set to work to establish the existence of the spiritual powers, before starting to define each one of them singly, and enlarge upon it.

And whereas the most peculiar characteristics of spiritual properties are two—one of them Setting in Motion (Impulsion), and the other Perception—it is incumbent upon us to show that to every moving body there is aAmoving cause (ground, reason, motive, pretence). Then it will become evident to us therefrom that bodies moving in motions over and above the natural motions—an example of natural motions is the sinking of the heavy, and the rising of the light—have movingB causes, which we call souls or spiritual powers; and that we further show that any body, in so far as it shows signs (traces) that it is perceptive, such perception by it cannot be validly ascribed to its body, except because of powers (faculties) in it that are capable of perception.

We now start by saying that not a shadow of doubt or perplexity hampers the mind, as to things, that some of them share some one thing in common, and differ in an other; and that that which is shared in common is other than that in which they differ. The mind encounters all bodies whatsoever as having this in common, viz. that they are bodies; and afterwards it encounters them as differing in that they move (in different ways); otherwise there would be no such thing as rest of a body, and not even such a thing as motion of a body, except along a circle, seeing that of motion in a straight line it is established by its very form that it will not proceed save from stoppings and to stoppings (resting-places to resting-places). Hence it is evident that bodies are not to be clothed with the attribute of motion because they are bodies, but for reasons (causes) above and beyond their corporeity, from which causes their motions proceed, like the resulting of the footprint from the walker (or, just as the effect proceeds from the agent).

So much having become clear to us, we say that we find, among bodies generated from the Four Elements,7 such as moves, not by constraint, in two kinds of motion between which there is more or less difference: The one kind inherent in its element by reason of the supremacy over it of the power of one of its constituents, and thus decreeing its motion towards the position in space naturally appointed for it, as for example a man’s moving by the nature of the preponderating8 heavy element in his body downwards; nor will this kind of the motions of bodies be found to take place save in one direction and with a constant tendency; The second kind of motion going against the decree of its element, which decree is either rest in the natural position as soon as it reaches that position, as for example a man’s moving his body along its natural home which is the Earth’s surface; or else a moving away from the natural position when already separated from it, like a flying bird’s motion with its heavy body high up through the sky. It has thus been made manifest [to the reader] that the two motions have two accounting causes, and that they are quite different one from the other: the one is called Natural, and the second called Soul or Spiritual Faculty. Hence it is quite sound, as to motion, to affirm the existence of spiritual faculties.

Whereas, in respect of Perception, because that bodies exist with this in common, viz. that they are bodies, and with this in distinction, viz. that they are repeatedly perceptive, it is quite manifest by the first (preceding) process of discrimination that perception will not ever differ from bodies through difference of their substance, but by certain powers or faculties borne within those bodies. It therefore becomes quite clear by this sort of exposition that spiritual faculties have an existence: and this is what we wished to demonstrate.

FOOTNOTES:

6. Reality of existence; or its whereabouts. Doctor S. Landauer thinks that the word ayniyyat in the text must be wrong, because nowhere throughout this section is the «Whereabout» of the mental powers so much as hinted at; whereas the burden of the whole chapter is to prove merely that such powers do exist, i.e., their inniyyat, which is a word used by Arab Logicians.

A. A Why and Wherefore moving it. Note the difference between sabab and `illah. Transcriber addition: sabab (سبب) and `illat (علّة): Sabab means the general conditions that are conducive to something occuring, whereas `illat is the reason in cause-and-effect. Traditionally, `illat is used in logic or medicine, whereas sabab would be more likely to be heard in common speech.

B. Ditto.

7. The four elements: earth, air, fire, water.

8. Here Ibn Sînâ seems to have had a rather clear premonition of Newton’s Theory of Gravitation, seven hundred years before the falling of the famous apple.