The Hierarchical Structure of Being

From the Ptolemaic geocentric cosmology, al-FarabI elaborated a standard onto-cosmology which was later adopted to varying degrees. Here are its tenets.

Being eternally emanates from the First Principle. In the same way that a productive act necessarily follows from any immaterial substance in actuality, this emanation process is inherent to its substance, therefore does not proceed from deliberation nor is aimed at an extrinsic end. Each of the ten secondary Intellects emanates from the First through the one immediately superior to it. They are self-subsistent substances, coeternal with the First. The tenth Intellect is the Active Intellect which constitutes the formal, efficient, final and exemplar separated cause of human intellects and the agent of their preservation in being if they succeed in becoming free of matter.

The being of each of the celestial spheres emanates from each Intellect independently. Their soul is not enmattered. Each one has a specific substrate. There is no fifth element common to all of them. The upper sphere impresses on them a common movement from which the prima materia proceeds eternally. Through their differentiated movements with regard to one another and to materia, the four elements and qualities of the sublunary world are brought forth, set in motion, and combined to make up sensible substances. The paradigm of this combination is provided by the Active Intellect which aims, as a final cause, to foreordain the physical influences exerted by the celestial bodies so that the sublunary species can emerge from these influences. Thus, the spheres themselves do not take part in a plan, but through their influence are ordained to bring about a goal which they ignore. Given that each one acts autonomously, regardless of others and of the providence exercised by the Active Intellect toward human intellects, their respective physical influence may come into conflict with each other and with the Active Intellect’s activity. As a result, various contingencies affect the sublunary world.