KALÂM ATOMISM

‘Kalâm atomism is one of the central subjects in the Mutakallimûn’s doctrine of universe. The origin of this subject still remains to be explored. Moses b. Maymonides claims that kalâm atomism was affected by Greek atomism. This claim also has been taken into account by various orientalists. In the nineteenth Century, Schmölders and Mabilleu claimed that kalam atomism was affected by Indian atomism. Shlomo Pines in his Beitrage zur 6slamischen Atomenlehre has acknowledged a resemblance between the certain aspects of Greek and Kalâm atomism. Pines thought that the difference between Greek atomism and Kalâm atomism were too great and therefore believed that the search for a Greek source of kalâm atomism was inconclusive. Pines established some congruities between the doctrines of Indian atomism and kalam atomism. According to Alnoor Dhanani in the The Physical Theory of Kalam (Brill 1994) Pines failed to find possible routes of transmission from the former of the latter. Before Pines (ten years ago), 0emseddin (Günaltay), in his article called “Mütekellimûn ve Atom Nazariyesi” (Daru’lFunun 6lahiyat Fakültesi Mecmuas, 1925) acknowledged congruities between the doctrines of Indian atomism and kalam atomism. This article claims that kalâm atomism was put forward by mutekellimûn in the Middle East and the influence of Greek and Indian atomism on kalam atomism was indirect. Therefore kalam atomism can be treated as an original theory.