Author(s): Ahmet Pirinç / Language(s): Turkish
Issue: 41/2020
al-Fārābī (d. 339/950) is one of the important philosophers who contributed to the science stuides and tried to create a philosophy of science in medieval Islamic thought. He based his understanding of science on the principles of logic abd tried to evaluate the subject of science within epistemological and metaphysical integrity. He considered religious and rational sciences within their limitations. As a matter of fact, Iḥṣāʾ al-ʿulūm (Classification of Sciences) is one of the examples that best reflects his conception of science and philosophy.In this study, the scientific research understanding of al-Fārābī (d. 339/950) was evaluated in the context of the treatise “Maqāla Abi Nasr al-Fārābī fīmā yasiḥḥu wa-mā lā yasiḥḥu min aḥkām al-nujūm”, which briefly abbreviated as Aḥkām al-nujūm. This assess-ment is to explain his understanding of method through the philosophical and logical arguments used by al-Fārābī on the distinction between the science of astronomy and astrology. It can said that the basic structure of the study is shaped around the concepts of syllogism, induction, sampling, experience and causality that stand out as criteria in the comparison of the scientific qualities of these two disciplines and in the explanation of the subject.al-Fārābī considers the science of stars (Ilm al-nujūm) under the title of mathematics/ta‘līmī sciences, a sub-discipline of nazarī (theorical) philosophy. He states that the concept of the science of stars is used jointly for two sciences. One of them; a) knowledge of the provisions extracted from the stars (Ilm aḥkām al-nujūm). This science is called Astrology. It is an art that studies how stars point to future events and current human situations. b) the knowledge of the stars (Ilm al-nujūm al-ta'līmī). This science is called as astronomy. This science covers the shapes of celestial bodies, types of motion, cosmic positions, mass and weight calculations, the Earth sphere, climates and, in relation to them, the shapes of the Earth. Therefore, al-Fārābī states that the science that is valuable in terms of its subject, which is encouraged to learn and teach, is the science of the stars (Ilm al-nujūm al-ta’līmī). He also recommends avoiding the invalid propositions and inferences of the art of astrology, which are incompatible with scientific understanding and are in contrast.What makes the treatise important is that it offers a method to be followed in re-search in other sciences, especially in astrology. Because, as in the art of astrology, he sees the root cause of some philosophical and logical errors arising out of being away from a functional methodology. According to al-Fārābī, people who do research should have a philosophical formation and a competent nature first. He says that it is necessary to base the research method in this field on the principles of philosophical knowledge and logic. Because, according to al-Fārābī, it is not possible to reach a valid and correct judgment without knowing these principles. Therefore, he emphasizes the importance of knowing Qiyas and Burhan (demonstration) which is one of the areas where comparison is applied. Because one of the disadvantages that leads a researcher to a mistake in the field of science is that a person tends to accept what is not mandatory conclusive evidence as a Burhan. al-Fārābī points out the logical violations made by those who are engaged in the art of astrology in the principle that those who are similar share common judgment. If any quality of one thing is similar to the quality of another thing, it indicates that all these things do not require it to be similar to the other thing in essence and nature. al-Fārābī also emphasizes the ontological principle of equality, stating that one of the two possible equals cannot be superior to the other. In this context, he calls attention to that some principles should be considered in the application of the method of induction and sampling, one of the reasoning forms in terms of methodology. By discussing the epistemic value of experience knowledge in terms of methodology, he tries to reveal the results it will provide us in terms of astrology. al-Fārābī draws attention to the error made in this matter by stating that the universal judgment obtained from induction does not have the quality of a mandatory precise knowledge. He draws attention to the moral, religious and social problems that will be created by determining life through the data of astrology about the future. Therefore, it considers the judgment given by the science of astrology regarding the results of possible propositions for the future invalid. As a metaphysical basis, in the perspective of the principle of causality, Astrology prefers to interpret the inconsistencies and misinterpretations of the art with the understanding of physical determinism and evaluate them together with the concepts of “coincidence” and “possible unknown”.
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