Islamic Theology, Philosophy and Law

The Poison of Philosophy 313

11.3. Induction, Categorical Syllogism and Analogy:

The Rational Balance in the Koran

Ibn Taymiyya treats his comparison between induction, analogy, syl-
logism, and other methods without reference to his views of causal-
ity. In consistency with his high esteem for particulars and his proof
that it is impossible to observe every single particular of a genus in
regard to the essence or property they share, he affirms that analogy
and induction are not inferior to categorical syllogism as the philoso-
phers claim.^252 He repeatedly tries to show that all concepts and judg-
ments  – be they reached by induction, analogy, syllogism, or other
methods  – are formed on the basis of particulars and not of univer-
sals.^253 He challenges the logicians’ assertion that induction (istiqrāʾ)
leads from particular to universal:

As far as induction is concerned, it is certain if it is complete, in which

case you will have reached a judgment about the common factor (al-qadr

al-mushtarak) on the basis of what you have found in all the particulars.

But this is neither an inference proceeding from particular to universal

nor is it one proceeding from specific to general; rather, it is an inference

that proceeds from one particular to another particular concomitant with

it. For the existence of a judgment concerning each and every particular

that falls under a universal necessitates that the judgment be concomitant

with that universal.^254

Ibn Taymiyya does not see induction as a way to reach certainty; else-
where, he even adduces the same proof of this as Ibn Sīnā does (see
chapter 10.1). His argumentation therefore seems to be in congruence
with his nominalistic attitude of denying the existing of universals ante
res and in rebus (see chapter 10.1). However, seen in the light of his
theory of causality and his comparison between analogy and categori-
cal syllogism (see chapter 11.2–3), his statement that induction is an

252 See, for instance, Ibn Sīnā, al-Ishārāt wal-tanbīhāt, vol. 1, pp. 365–370; Avi-
cenna, Remarks and Admonitions, pp. 129–130; see also Hallaq, Ibn Taymiyya,
pp. 114, n. 190.1, 117, n. 197.1.
253 Ibn Taymiyya, al-Radd, (especially concise) pp.  300–303 (in fact, he treats
that subject until the end of the book); slightly shortened by al-Suyūṭī, Jahd
al-qarīḥa, pp. 314–316; Hallaq, Ibn Taymiyya, pp. 142–145.
254 Ibn Taymiyya, al-Radd, p. 201; al-Suyūṭī, Jahd al-qarīḥa, p. 290; Hallaq, Ibn
Taymiyya, pp. 115–116. (I follow his translation except for the first sentence,
where I want to stress Ibn Taymiyya’s focus on the “common factor”; Hallaq
renders al-qadr al-mushtarak here as “the entire class”).

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