Circularity and infinite regress

al-dawr wa-l-tasalsul

الدَّوْر وَالتَّسَلْسُل

Circularity (dawr) and infinite regress (tasalsul) are the two impossibilities that would follow if all knowledge were acquired.

Second readingFrom the commentariesDraft · awaiting review

Explanation

If every piece of knowledge needed another to be reached, the chain would either loop back on itself or never end, and nothing would ever be known.

So some knowledge must be immediate (ḍarūrī), and acquired knowledge rests on it.

Also written as: dawr, tasalsul, circular reasoning, infinite regress.

End of introduction. Take stock before the next part.