The Impossibility of a Preponderance without a determinant
Since a contingent essence ممکن بالذات is equidistant in relation to both the possibility to exist امکان وجود and the possibility of non-existence امکان عدم without being inclined towards either one of the two possibilities, therefore any inclination or preponderance ترجیح in favour of either one of the two possibilities cannot be realized without a determinant or a preponderant مرجح; in the absence of such a preponderant the said preponderance shall not be realized and given the existence of this determinant, the preponderance cannot remain unrealized; this is because a determinant can only be a preponderant in the true sense if it causes the preponderance, and not if it doesn't.
Now given that the world is a contingent being its preponderant would either be the Divine Essence alone; or it is some factor other than the Divine Essence such as the will to create; or it is a combination of the Divine Essence and that other factor; now if something other than the Divine Essence, such as the will to create, is the preponderant then this factor would either be eternal قدیم or originated; assuming it is eternal, the world would also consequently be eternal; and if it is originated, so the fact that it did not exist previously and only came into being later, means that it is contingent itself; and being contingent it is itself dependent upon some preponderant for its occurrence or existence; but then the same question reverts towards the second preponderant until we either have an infinite regress تسلسل or circular causation دور, both of which are impossible.
Now if the preponderant of the world is a combination of the Divine Essence and this other factor such as the will to create, so the Divine Essence alone cannot be considered as a perfect cause علت تامه of the world, but it would only be a part of the perfect cause; the remaining part being the will to create; now this will to create would either be eternal or originated, and if eternal, so given the Eternity of the Divine Essence, the world would also be eternal; and if the will is originated, then it would also be in need of a preponderant; now the preponderant of the will would either be the Divine Essence itself or something else; if the preponderant of the will is the Divine Essence, then given the Eternity of the Essence, the will to create, would be eternal and consequently the world would also be eternal; but if the preponderant of the will is some third factor other than the Essence, then the question reverts towards that third factor, namely whether it is eternal or originated; until we either arrive at an infinite regress or circular causation, or an eternal world.
However, a combination of the Divine Essence and an extraneous factor such as the will to create, to act as a preponderant for the existence of the world, would mean that the Essence is not sufficient to bring about the existence of the world independently; and dependence احتیاج implies contingency.
Finally, if the Divine Essence alone to the exclusion of everything else, is the sole preponderant of the existence of the world, then given the Eternity of the Essence, the world cannot fail to be eternal.
Now given that the world is a contingent being its preponderant would either be the Divine Essence alone; or it is some factor other than the Divine Essence such as the will to create; or it is a combination of the Divine Essence and that other factor; now if something other than the Divine Essence, such as the will to create, is the preponderant then this factor would either be eternal قدیم or originated; assuming it is eternal, the world would also consequently be eternal; and if it is originated, so the fact that it did not exist previously and only came into being later, means that it is contingent itself; and being contingent it is itself dependent upon some preponderant for its occurrence or existence; but then the same question reverts towards the second preponderant until we either have an infinite regress تسلسل or circular causation دور, both of which are impossible.
Now if the preponderant of the world is a combination of the Divine Essence and this other factor such as the will to create, so the Divine Essence alone cannot be considered as a perfect cause علت تامه of the world, but it would only be a part of the perfect cause; the remaining part being the will to create; now this will to create would either be eternal or originated, and if eternal, so given the Eternity of the Divine Essence, the world would also be eternal; and if the will is originated, then it would also be in need of a preponderant; now the preponderant of the will would either be the Divine Essence itself or something else; if the preponderant of the will is the Divine Essence, then given the Eternity of the Essence, the will to create, would be eternal and consequently the world would also be eternal; but if the preponderant of the will is some third factor other than the Essence, then the question reverts towards that third factor, namely whether it is eternal or originated; until we either arrive at an infinite regress or circular causation, or an eternal world.
However, a combination of the Divine Essence and an extraneous factor such as the will to create, to act as a preponderant for the existence of the world, would mean that the Essence is not sufficient to bring about the existence of the world independently; and dependence احتیاج implies contingency.
Finally, if the Divine Essence alone to the exclusion of everything else, is the sole preponderant of the existence of the world, then given the Eternity of the Essence, the world cannot fail to be eternal.
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