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SpiritualRoadmapbyGhazali, page : 123
with which the operations of reason are not concerned at all; indeed, reason
almost denies them and judges them absurd. For instance, the weight of a danig
(about eight grains) of opium is a deadly poison, freezing the blood in the veins
through its excess of cold. The man who claims a knowledge of physics
considers that when a composite substance becomes cold it always does so
through the two elements of water and earth, since these are the cold elements.
It is well-known, however, that many pounds of water and earth are not
productive of cold in the interior of the body to the same extent as this weight of
opium. If a physicist were informed of this fact, and had not discovered it by
experiment, he would say, `This is impossible; the proof of its impossibility is that
the opium contains the elements of fire and air, and these elements do not
increase cold; even supposing it was entirely composed of water and earth, that
would not necessitate this extreme freezing action, much less does it do so when
the two hot elements are joined with them.‟ He supposes that this is a proof!
Most of the philosophers‟ proofs in natural science and theology are
constructed in this fashion. They conceive of things according to the measure of
almost denies them and judges them absurd. For instance, the weight of a danig
(about eight grains) of opium is a deadly poison, freezing the blood in the veins
through its excess of cold. The man who claims a knowledge of physics
considers that when a composite substance becomes cold it always does so
through the two elements of water and earth, since these are the cold elements.
It is well-known, however, that many pounds of water and earth are not
productive of cold in the interior of the body to the same extent as this weight of
opium. If a physicist were informed of this fact, and had not discovered it by
experiment, he would say, `This is impossible; the proof of its impossibility is that
the opium contains the elements of fire and air, and these elements do not
increase cold; even supposing it was entirely composed of water and earth, that
would not necessitate this extreme freezing action, much less does it do so when
the two hot elements are joined with them.‟ He supposes that this is a proof!
Most of the philosophers‟ proofs in natural science and theology are
constructed in this fashion. They conceive of things according to the measure of