Ontology of Quiddity
Fundamental Concepts of Philosophy – I
This work undertakes an inquiry into mahiyya -conceived here as quidditas,
the immutable essence underlying the world of appearances in
ceaseless flux and signifying the pure “what-ness” of a thing independent
of its existence and temporal conditions- within the interpretive
framework of the Islamic philosophical tradition. It presents, in a comprehensive
manner, the analyses advanced by Islamic thinkers concerning
this notion. The study also highlights the relevance of this accumulated
intellectual legacy for contemporary philosophy, thereby seeking
to establish an intellectual bridge between the tradition and present
debates; moreover, it situates quiddity not merely as a historical notion
but as a focal point at the centre of inquiries into being, abstract objects,
and the nature of God. In line with this aim, the work is divided into
three main sections. The first, titled “Concepts and Ontological Foundations,”
lays the conceptual groundwork by examining the authentic
character of quiddity (M. M. Karakaya) and its place within Avicennian
philosophy, together with its relation to key metaphysical notions
(M. S. Tosun). The second section, “The Trajectory of Quiddity in Islamic
Philosophy,” offers an in-depth investigation of quiddity across
three distinct ontological strata, addressing its ontological status (A.
Öz) as well as the problem of createdness, with particular attention to
al-Abharī (M. Borsbuğa). Finally, the third section, “Theological Extensions
of the Problem of Quiddity,” brings the accumulated discussions
into dialogue with contemporary issues by examining the ontological
grounding of essences (M. A. Haksever) and the tension between God’s
independent existence and the eternality of abstract objects (A. A. Yılmaz)
from a comparative perspective.
Keywords: Islamic Philosophy; Mahiyya (Quiddity); Ontology; Avicenna;
Abstract Objects