Abstract

As we take it for granted, regardless of some taken presuppositions and with respect to bringing the “exclusive or” into play, three modes are perceivable for the philosophical question of “the principality of existence or quiddity”. Some Muslim thinkers have sorted out a theory in this regard and others have argued for their own adopted view; while the mode thinkers have taken to stride in the debate at hand shows their disagreement lied based on a priori principles. Naturally, the concept of “existence” and “quiddity” can be considered as the most fundamental conceptual origins of the debate in question. In this article, adopting the method related to history of philosophy and on the basis of ascriptions of “existence” –to which some thinkers have given meticulous thought-, some outstanding analyses and comparisons in terms of thinkers’ exchanges have been accomplished. This research findings are as follows: Firstly, the concept of “existence” should not be called the most known thing per se as it does possess various ascriptions. Secondly, as the dispute concerning the principality or abstractedness of existence is not a matter of demonstration, one cannot argue merely for one theory so to simultaneously undermine other ones. However, this question entirely relies upon the primary perception each thinker has taken for “existence”. Thirdly, since some ascriptions of “existence” imply its concrete composition with quiddity, it’s no longer intelligible to simultaneously speak of the abstractedness and principality of the two sides.