The dolt does not benefit from it and the intelligent one does not need it
Ibn Taymiyya said: “…and the amount within it that is needed; most sound dispositions [ fitra ] possess it independently [ tastaqillu bihi ]. The dolt does not benefit from it and the intelligent one does not need it.” This is fallacious reasoning as we shall explain.
…If he meant that the sound dispositions are in no need of learning logic from the books, we respond by saying that the logical principles written in the books are not to be called logic in itself—as we explained earlier—rather, they are a written form and expression of logic. In itself, logic is the collection of principles that man uses during his thought process; not restricted to their presence in books or in man’s memory. So how can Ibn Taymiyya claim that the sound dispositions independently possess it?
If Ibn Taymiyya meant that when thinking, the disposition [fitra]does not rely upon the principles mentioned in the books of logic, then the majority of intelligent people would contradict that claim. As for his claim that: “The dolt does not benefit from it and the intelligent one does not need it”, this is not completely accepted, for if a dolt were to apply himself and repeat it within his self, logic would become entrenched within him and he would be able to bring it to mind and benefit from it. This is what scholars call ‘acquired intelligence’. If we say that these principles are true in and of themselves, it is not allowed to claim that the dolt will not benefit from them if he takes to learning them.
In addition to this, it is not allowed to say that the intelligent one does not need it, for this would imply that the an intelligent person never makes a mistake. There is not to be found any intelligent person who has never made a mistake—much less numerous mistakes. No one besides the Prophets are immune from error, and the Prophets were made immune by Allah, the Exalted. So, if we agree that there is no intelligent person, save that he makes mistakes, how then can this intelligent person be shown his mistakes without following general principles by which he may ascertain the meanings of what he says and thinks and employ those principles to discipline his thoughts? These principles are taken from his sound mind and are in themselves logic.
This implies therefore, that both the intelligent and the dolt are in need of the science of logic, not to mention the various grades of people in between the two. This invalidates the words of Ibn Taymiyya.
For the intelligent to be in no need of these principles implies that he is either not in need of the necessary qualities of his inner disposition [fitra]—at least according to Ibn Taymiyya’s belief—or that he is not in need of a portion of it. Nay, this belief implies that the intelligent person has no need for any principles whatsoever, and this is incorrect.
