From First Principles. An Axiological Account of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s Metaphysics

• Applicant: Francesco Omar Zamboni, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: History of Philosophy
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 573202892

The project aims to develop a systematic and comprehensive study of the key philosophical principles of Fakhr al-Dîn Râzî’s (d.1210) metaphysics. Râzî is a pivotal figure in Islamic thought. His historical importance is attested by how he systematized material from all major schools prior to him (falsafa, Mu'tazilite kalâm, Ash’arite kalâm), as well as by the decisive influence he exerted on the later tradition. His philosophical prominence is proven by his exhaustive mode of argumentation, his high standards of evidence, and his commitment to radical and original positions. The research will primarily focus on general metaphysics, understood to include theories of existence, unity, essence, modality, causation, substance, parts and wholes, and the categories. It will also investigate Râzî’s logic insofar as that is required for reconstructing his epistemology of first principles. The main methodology of the research will be textual-analytical: Râzî’s metaphysics will be investigated to understand its theoretical structure, commitments, and problems. Historical and contextual considerations play a secondary and instrumental role. The study will adopt a principle-oriented approach: it will single out the key principles of Rāzī’s metaphysics and then investigate the challenges they face and the notable corollaries they entail. This procedure - reversing the more common conclusion-oriented approach - shows promise of overcoming the challenges arising from the vastness of Râzî’s philosophical production and the inconsistencies it contains. Focusing on principles will allow the PI to streamline the reconstruction of the material and evaluate the philosophical relevance of those inconsistencies - both crucial for a comprehensive and systematic account of Râzî’s metaphysics. The research will test several interpretative hypotheses about the nature of Râzî’s metaphysical endeavor. The focal hypothesis, proposed by the PI, is that Râzî’s metaphysics is aspirationally systematic yet factually antinomic: it tries to develop a coherent picture of reality by consistently deploying a set of principles, while failing in several places due to contradictions between those principles (antinomies). Hypotheses formulated by other scholars will also be tested, such as the idea that Râzî’s inconsistencies arise from the conventions of different literary genres. The research’s main output will be a monograph offering an axiological study of Rāzī’s general metaphysics. The project will also result in three journal articles on topics of historical interest, not covered by the main output (e.g., the Mu'tazilites’ influence on Râzî), in addition to an anthology of translated excerpts from Râzî’s main works on metaphysics and epistemology.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants