An Inquiry into Mediating and Cutting Movements

Ibn Sina and his followers deny cutting movement. The denial of cutting movement first requires the denial of movement in the sense of a gradual emergence from potentiality into actuality, and secondly, it entails the acceptance of idea that time is illusory. This is while Ibn Sina acknowledges both. Mīr Dāmād and Mullā Ṣadrā have accepted cutting movement in order to dispose such a contradiction, and consequently, had to interpret Ibn Sina’s words in a way that matches such an effort.This article tries to evaluate the classic interpretation of cutting and mediating movements, and to explore their reasons and causes. By enumerating their problems, the author wants to show the congruity of denying cutting movement with accepting the existence of time. In this way, he wants to dispose of the contradiction in Ibn Sina’s theory without any need for its re-interpretation.