Being “Essential of the Section of Demonstration” of “good and badness of actions”: Responding to Criticisms

The issue of essential good and badness has been a very controversial issue in the history of Islamic sciences, and in particular in theology. Opponents and advocates of this theory have different views in this regard. The meaning of “essential” in this compound is considered as “essential of the section of demonstration” in one of the renowned accounts of this view. Yet, such a sense has been denied by certain theologians and contemporary philosophers. Using a descriptive method this paper explains the views of the opponents and advocates and then, it answers the criticisms of the opposition by the rational and critical method. Findings show that, the considered critiques have raised or caused by confusion between actual good and badness with ethical one, or it is the effect of misunderstanding or inaccuracy on the meaning of essential of the section of demonstration, or it is the result of some uncertain assumptions, such as the distinction between requirements of experimental intellect and discursive intellect.