Avicenna’s Innovative Theory of Causality and Its Quranic Origins

Causality is one of the most important philosophical issues which has attracted the attention of Islamic philosophers. They have made a lot of efforts to refine it in accordance with the religious teachings. With reference to the religious concept of creation, Avicenna draws on Aristotle’s potentiality and actuality, but moves beyond these concepts to existence and quiddity and in this movement tries to renovate most of the concepts related to causality. For example, through his efforts, the criterion required for the ‘possibility through preparedness’ has evolved into ‘substantial possibility’. God as the First Unmoved Mover who is True Actuality and Ultimate Cause has become Self-Existent, Pure Existent and Efficient Agent. Also God who is Knower of Himself becomes Knower of all else than Himself. In brief, in the interpretation of causality, ‘concession of existence to quiddity’ substitutes for " actualization of the potential".