Davood Hosseini
Abstract
There is a controversy in the contemporary literature on Mullasadra’s view on the reality of quiddity; is quiddity in-the-World or just in-the-Mind? This paper aims to argue that from Mullasadra’s viewpoint, it is in-the-World. For this end, I will argue that some of Mullasadra's expressions ...
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There is a controversy in the contemporary literature on Mullasadra’s view on the reality of quiddity; is quiddity in-the-World or just in-the-Mind? This paper aims to argue that from Mullasadra’s viewpoint, it is in-the-World. For this end, I will argue that some of Mullasadra's expressions concerning quiddity (namely, quiddity’s being an abstract entity and its being true of existence) when attached to his theses about abstraction and truth, entails that quiddity is in-the-World; though it exists just secondarily. If these arguments turn out to be sound, a question arises: what is the difference between existence’s being primarily existent and quiddity’s being secondarily so? In order to answer this question, I will propose that one can understand and explain primary and secondary existence and being in-the-World by means of effectiveness and mind-independence. I will give some textual evidence which show that this proposal is not far from Mullasadra’s own viewpoint.
Morteza Hosseinzadeh; Sahar Kavandi; Mohsen Jahed
Abstract
The truth of knowledge was considered by western philosophers and epistemologists long time ago unclear sentence. They were mostly foundationalists or coherentists in the justification element. Muslim philosophers specifically paid attention to the problem of knowledge, and defined it as constant certainty ...
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The truth of knowledge was considered by western philosophers and epistemologists long time ago unclear sentence. They were mostly foundationalists or coherentists in the justification element. Muslim philosophers specifically paid attention to the problem of knowledge, and defined it as constant certainty corresponding reality. In consideration of ternary definition of knowledge, it can be deduced that Muslim philosophers accepted the corresponding theory in truth element, and accepted foundationalism in justification element. Though, epistemological model of Sadra is different from those of Muslim philosophers in consideration of different evaluations of statements, and emphasis on different role and place of proof and mystic intuition in reaching knowledge, and on the other hand, by accepting that knowledge is existential, and by reducing conceptual knowledge to immediate knowledge. Understanding of Mulla Sadra's theory requires examining his method of the justification element. Various aspects are indicated to distinguish between the Transcendent Philosophy and other philosophical schools. In this view, mystic intuition can play a justifying role. From viewpoint of Mulla Sadra, what should be followed are proof and mystic intuition. In the Sadra’s system, revelation is the criterion for evaluation of mystic intuition. So, reaching knowledge demands the existence of proof or mystic intuition, and the truth of the latter should be evaluated by the revelation. Epistemic system of Sadra is formed by three elements of proof, mystic intuition, and revelation being interrelated to each other. Explaining the epistemological role of proof, mystic intuition, and revelation addresses the context of justification, uncovering the theory of the Transcendent Philosophy about the knowledge. Methods This study describes the problems, analyzes them, and in some cases, criticizes them using a literature review. Results and discussion After determination of the ternary epistemic elements, viz. proof, mystic intuition, and revelation, it can be concluded that real knowledge is gained through proof or mystic intuition. In an initial look, it seems that proof and mystic intuition are different, but since he believes that real knowledge is the immediate knowledge, it can be believed that proof and mystic intuition are single and the same, and that the reality of both is the existential encountering with non-material reality. Each of proof and mystic intuition is preparing a cause for encountering non-material existence and gaining knowledge. After considering the theories that set forth the justifying element in the Sadra’s system, and examining their faults according to this system, another theory is reached herein about justifying element, which is not just foundationalism or coherentism. Conclusion In our opinion, in consideration of epistemological foundations of the Transcendent Philosophy, one cannot believe that Mulla Sadra's theory of justification is the same as those of other Muslim epistemologists. Mulla Sadra's theory of justification is a compound one that authors named it as “existential foundherentism”. From the viewpoint of Mulla Sadra, proof and mystic intuition (purification of the soul) are the preparing causes for the existential encountering of non-material existence, and consequently, for justifying the beliefs. Coherentism of Mulla Sadra and his reliance on proof is the realm of conceptual knowledge. This means that in the realm of conceptual knowledge, he believes in two kinds of statements, i.e. foundational and non-foundational, and justifies the latter by the former. Mulla Sadra's cohrtentism implies his belief of conceptual knowledge to be compatible with immediate knowledge, the latter being compatible to the former. In consideration of Mulla Sadra's foundation, the reality of proof and mystic intuition is unique and the same, and that reality is immediate encountering the object of knowledge. This encountering, as a result, is a product of proof or purification of the soul, that is, both promote the existence of the knower and put him/her in the presence of object of the knowledge, and just here, object of the knowledge attends for the knower and the identity of knower and known occurs. The compound theory named “existential foundherentism”, pays attention both to the role of proof and the mystic intuition. Although in some of his works, Mulla Sadra only emphasizes the proof for justifying the statements, his final viewpoint is to follow proof or mystic intuition, and that proof proves, hence it cannot be incompatible with the mystic intuition, and real proof is not against to the mystic intuition.
maryam barooti; Reza Akbarian; mohammad saidimehr
Abstract
Allameh Tabatabaie’s dominate view, at semantics of divine attributes including divine knowledge, is “basis of meaning” view. But this view, inattention to context of speech, causes appearance of difficulties at divine attributes; we are trying at this article to express defects of ...
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Allameh Tabatabaie’s dominate view, at semantics of divine attributes including divine knowledge, is “basis of meaning” view. But this view, inattention to context of speech, causes appearance of difficulties at divine attributes; we are trying at this article to express defects of this view by explaining speech context and presenting it to “ basis of meaning” view and introduce the view that addresses itself to extension of this meaning in different contexts, attending to core of meaning (primitive meaning and ‘ verbal explanation’ meaning). This method is investigated in divine knowledge attribute to empty meaning of divine knowledge from simile.
Forough Rahimpour
Volume 5, Issue 3 , November 2014, , Pages 25-41
Abstract
Metempsychosis, in current philosophical terms, means transition of soul from its own body into another material body, either in this world or after death. This idea is absolutely rejected by Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra through intellectual reasoning.
Each of these two great philosophers, depending on ...
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Metempsychosis, in current philosophical terms, means transition of soul from its own body into another material body, either in this world or after death. This idea is absolutely rejected by Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra through intellectual reasoning.
Each of these two great philosophers, depending on their own principles, defend the unique relation between human soul and its body and negates the dependence of it to other body/bodies. Ibn Sina’s reasoning in the negation of metempsychosis is based on that believe that soul in respect of its essence is abstract, and in respect of its act is material.
So, although the cause of act and the donor of soul is immaterial intellect, but apt temperament and body substance is prone to this emanation. Additionally, Shaykh believes that the relation between each soul and its body substance is an intrinsically obligatory one.
Mulla Sadra on the other hand, believes in novel bases such as existence gradation and strengthening; evolutional substantial movement in all of the creatures (including soul and body parallel to each other); bodily occurrence of the soul at the beginning; and mingled composition of soul and body. Besides quoting and confirming the solution of Shaykh-alraies, he benefits from the bases of the transcendent philosophy, so he not only proposed a novel presentation of some proofs against metempsychosis, but presented a new solution to prove impossibility of metempsychosis, which is only explainable by the bases of the transcendent philosophy.
This article tries to explain and compare the chosen proofs of these two philosophers to reject metempsychosis, describe their particular bases, and show how in some cases, different bases are applied to attain a specific goal
Mahdi Assadi
Volume 5, Issue 4 , February 2015, , Pages 25-36
Abstract
In this essay I try to analyze briefly the claim and proofs of Mu‘tazilite’s nonbeing objects (thubūt), Russell's earlier view in Principles of Mathematics, and Russell's later view on negative facts. I, then, indicate that since these claims have been defended and reconstructed even in ...
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In this essay I try to analyze briefly the claim and proofs of Mu‘tazilite’s nonbeing objects (thubūt), Russell's earlier view in Principles of Mathematics, and Russell's later view on negative facts. I, then, indicate that since these claims have been defended and reconstructed even in the recent years, it is necessary to reevaluate such views. Since we should not regard their counter–intuitiveness as sufficient in criticizing them, I attempt to show some of their logical unacceptable consequences: if they are true, they ontologically will result in an infinite regress
Mohammad Hadi Tavakoli
Volume 6, Issue 1 , May 2015, , Pages 25-39
Abstract
The problem of the unification of the intellect and intelligible can be found in the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. Indeed, it has been explained more clearly in Plotinus’ philosophy and the Neo-Platonic School and its followers. This problem has also been tackled by the thinkers of the Islamic ...
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The problem of the unification of the intellect and intelligible can be found in the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. Indeed, it has been explained more clearly in Plotinus’ philosophy and the Neo-Platonic School and its followers. This problem has also been tackled by the thinkers of the Islamic world however it reached its culmination in the Transcendent Philosophy.
To prove the unification of the intellect and the intelligible, Mulla Sadra adduced two proofs, the ‘Argument of correlation’ and the ‘argument of light and obscurity’, which in the first one, he analyzes intellect existence and in the second analyzes intelligible existence.
Misbah Yazdi in some of his philosophical books criticizes the mentioned proofs. In this article, after stating each of his refutals, I will evalute and cosequentley reject them.
raham sharaf; mohammad reza monsefi
Volume 7, Issue 4 , January 2017, , Pages 25-49
Abstract
Abstract
In psychology, the recognition of personality and its components plays a fundamental role in the treatment of psychological disorders. On the other hand, self-cognition is also the basis for the formation of moral virtues in many moral theories. Since the ‘self’ in Islamic philosophical ...
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Abstract
In psychology, the recognition of personality and its components plays a fundamental role in the treatment of psychological disorders. On the other hand, self-cognition is also the basis for the formation of moral virtues in many moral theories. Since the ‘self’ in Islamic philosophical ethical theories has some similarities to personality in psychological theories, one can compare, in some ways, self-cognition to personality-cognition. In this paper we seek to compare Freud's theory of personality, as an important theory in psychology, to Ibn Miskawayh’s self-cognition theory, as an introductory to one of the most fundamental Islamic ethical views. The findings of this research show that, despite their similarities, there is a significant difference in the origin and meaning of moral values between these theories. In Freud's theory, ethical values are the product of a subconscious process and actually ethical perfection is in conflict with mental health. But in Miskawayh’s self-cognition theory, ethical virtues are linked to rationality and are achieved consciously and voluntarily. Accordingly, in this theory, moral perfection, rationality and mental health are aligned.
Qāsem Akhavān Nabavi
Volume 1, Issue 2 , March 2011, , Pages 29-39
Abstract
In this paper, I will try to present a comparative examination of Avicenna’s and Mullā Sadrā’s views of analyzing the concept of the Necessary Being. According to Avicenna, “the Necessary Being” is an entity which is Pure Being, but according to Mullā Sadrā, Necessity of Being ...
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In this paper, I will try to present a comparative examination of Avicenna’s and Mullā Sadrā’s views of analyzing the concept of the Necessary Being. According to Avicenna, “the Necessary Being” is an entity which is Pure Being, but according to Mullā Sadrā, Necessity of Being requires that the existent besides being real and not having conditional mode and accidental intermediary has not causative mode. According to the separability of these two modes, the Necessary Being is a being which is both “by-itself” and “for-itself”; hence, Mullā Sadrā considers these two qualifications in his definition of the Necessary Being. Therefore, the arguments of the two philosophers for Necessary Being will be different.
Mohammad Hadi Tavakoli
Volume 5, Issue 1 , October 2014, , Pages 29-42
Abstract
The ‘argument of correlation’ is one of arguments by which Mulla-Sadra attempts to prove the unification of the intellect and the intelligible. Haeri Yazdi in some of his philosophical books has tried to explain the argument. His viewpoints in this regard has been criticized by other philosophers. ...
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The ‘argument of correlation’ is one of arguments by which Mulla-Sadra attempts to prove the unification of the intellect and the intelligible. Haeri Yazdi in some of his philosophical books has tried to explain the argument. His viewpoints in this regard has been criticized by other philosophers. In this paper on the base on last Haeri's paper about the unification of the intellect and the intelligible, we will show that his viewpoints is uncceptable
mohammad asghari
Volume 6, Issue 4 , March 2016, , Pages 29-51
Abstract
Abstract
Despite the temporal or historical and geographical differences between Japanese Kyoto Philosophical School in twentieth Century and Islamic Philosophy, there are remarkable similarities for doing comparative studies and therefore, according to the author, ‘the possibility of dialogue’ ...
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Abstract
Despite the temporal or historical and geographical differences between Japanese Kyoto Philosophical School in twentieth Century and Islamic Philosophy, there are remarkable similarities for doing comparative studies and therefore, according to the author, ‘the possibility of dialogue’ between them is conceivable. However, this article does not claim that a full logical correspondence between these two schools can be established. Kyoto is rooted in traditional Japanese school of Zen Buddhism and mystical and philosophical thoughts of the West. Key representatives of the school are Kitaro Nishida, Nishitany Keiji and Tanabe Hajime, which, in this article, we will focus mainly on religious and mystical ideas of Nishida and Nishitany. Nishida Kitaro is considered as the founder of Kyoto School. The prevailing thought of the school is based on the concepts of nothingness, God, manifestation, love, religion and soul. On the other hand, we encounter almost the same concepts in Islamic philosophy in the thoughts of its prominent representatives such as Rumi, Ibn Arabi, Sadra affected by religious tradition, the Quran, and Greek philosophy (including the Neo-Platonic philosophy). Focusing on concepts like God, divine manifestation, divine love, religion and soul on both sides, this paper seek to show the ‘possibility’ of dialogue between them.
Morteza Bahrani; Seyed Mohsen Alavipour
Abstract
In the wake of the Greek classic philosophers, ‘friendship’ as a philosophical and political concept has also been considered in the political philosophy of Muslim thinkers. However, they considered this category differently due to the differences between Islamic thought and Greek thought ...
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In the wake of the Greek classic philosophers, ‘friendship’ as a philosophical and political concept has also been considered in the political philosophy of Muslim thinkers. However, they considered this category differently due to the differences between Islamic thought and Greek thought in thier totality. Downplaying the importance of this concept in the context of political thinking and taking advantage of some auxiliary concepts, Islamic philosophers sought to put aside the concept in their political philosophy. Examining the concept of friendship in the opinions of philosophers such as Kennedy, Farabi, Ameri and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi through a content analysis of their works, this paper shows that Muslim scholars in borrowing ideas from Greek philosophers, represented a special narrative of the constitutive concepts of political system, based on their intellectual contexts, which in some cases is in contradiction with the approach of the Greek philosophers.
Akbar Amiri; Mahdi Azimi
Abstract
The quiddity of paranormal phenomena has been interesting and questionable throughout human history and mankind has alwayes tried to underestand it in format of various names and titles. when it is talked about these phenomena , some poeple try to prove them and others try to deny them; ...
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The quiddity of paranormal phenomena has been interesting and questionable throughout human history and mankind has alwayes tried to underestand it in format of various names and titles. when it is talked about these phenomena , some poeple try to prove them and others try to deny them; Without having a common and precise definition of these phenomena in advance. in other words; Before giving a reason for existence or non-existence of "X" , we must have a precise definition of it. that has all the conditions of a correct and logical definition, Otherwise any discussion about " X" will be useless and other than adding ambiguity, it does not help to clarify the matter. for this reason, in this article we have tried to examine the most popular definitions of paranormal phenomenom that has been presented so far and after analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each definition over each other to provide the basis for reaching a fairly accurate definition of these phenomena. our position in this article is that it is possible to reach a accurate definition of paranormal phenomenon. we try to pave the way for a better definition , which in our opinion is the ninth definition; by showing the defects and strengths of each definition. we must note that our claim in this article is not to provide a very precise definition but it is to show this matter that contrary to popular belief; provided definitions of paranormal phenomenon are not perfect. however, it is possible to take steps and try to achieve the almost accurate definition that does not have the drawbacks of previous definitions. although there is a long way to go to reach an absolutely accurate definition and walking this way requires many steps; This article can be one of the first steps. Methods and Matterial: our research method in this article is a rational method that includes deductive method. however, we also used experimental data to show the accuracy of our results. Results and Discussion: Before defining the paranormal phenomenon, a distinction must be made between three categories: normal, unnormal and paranormal phenomena. Phenomena that we call paranormal are divided into two categories: the first category is phenomena that are "aparrantly" paranormal that with the advancement of science, we may no longer consider them paranormal, The second category is phenomena that are truly paranormal. Although ordinary people do not have a clear criterion for distinguishing between normal and unnormal phenomena ;None of them doubts the existence of unnormal phenomena, but still they doubt the existence of paranormal phenomen and are skeptical about putting them in the category of unnormal phenomena. however, there are phenomena that are candidates for the paranormal category our definition should be such that it includes aparrantly paranormal phenomena. Since Ducasse's definition of paranormal phenomena is based on natural causation, his definition is not accurate, beacause causality in paranormal phenomena may be another type of causality. Definitions based on scientific inexplicability are also not appropriate because first, many natural phenomena, such as gravity, do not yet have a scientific explanation and yet no one calls them paranormal. Secondly, if we consider it absolutely scientifically inexplicable, we have denied the possibility of their occurrence. Broad's definition, which is based on basic limiting principles, is not correct either. because the exact number of these principles is not known and there is doubt in their basicity. Scriven's definition, while introducing the component of consciousness, is still ambiguous. The ninth definition, which is the one we have provided, has at least one major advantage over the other definitions; and that by knowing these phenomena beyond time and space considers phenomena such as precognition and clairvoyance to be rationally explainable without considering them empirically explicable. Conclusion: The first step in explaining paranormal phenomena is to try to reach an accurate definition of them. In parapsychology, different conceptual definitions of these phenomena have been presented. which are mainly based on scientific inexplicability The definition based on scientific inexplicability, if it is limited to a specific time, then includes normal and unnormal phenomena as well and it will no longer be an exact definition, even if it is not limited to a specific time and we consider the supernatural phenomenon to be absolutely inexplicable, then we have denied the possibility of its occurrence. In Islamic philosophy and mysticism, there are valuable discussions about the paranormal phenomenon but they have two problems, the first of which is their dependence on religious and theological issues and the lack of an independent and phenomenological research on them. another problem is that most of their definitions of a paranormal phenomenon are based on mentioning referents of concept of this phenomenon and fail to provide a precise conceptual definition. Since in the first eight definitions, the criterion of scientific inexplicability constitutes at least one of the key elements of the definition of the paranormal phenomenon. until we have a precise and clear definition of science and its scope, none of them can be considered a proper definition of the paranormal phenomenon. however, it seems that the ninth definition, that is, the definition we have given, does not have this defect because it is not based on scientific inexplicability and it has advantages that even Scriven's definition lacks. simplicity, comprehensiveness and compatibility with customary understanding are important advantages of this definition over previous definitions. therefore, until we reach a completely accurate definition of these phenomena, the ninth definition is better and more accurate than other definitions.
Islamic mysticism
Amir Pourrastegar
Abstract
AbstractIntroductionThe approach is the attitude and style that the researcher relies on to seek closer to his hypothetical project. In fact, the approach refers to the angle of view or direction that the researcher takes. Collectively, how to deal systematically with a particular issue or situation ...
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AbstractIntroductionThe approach is the attitude and style that the researcher relies on to seek closer to his hypothetical project. In fact, the approach refers to the angle of view or direction that the researcher takes. Collectively, how to deal systematically with a particular issue or situation is called an "approach." In modern literary criticism and analysis, the research is based on a set of approaches based on which the researcher seeks to know and understand, interpret and criticize the texts. Research approaches that have a methodological and sometimes interdisciplinary nature are unique theoretical and methodological frameworks that seek to analyze texts in an epistemological process.MethodologyThe extent of Sufism and mysticism as teachings, experience, art, thought, practice, knowledge, and its schools and practices has led to broad approaches to it. Sufism and mysticism have had many functions, contexts, and influences, both due to their buoyancy in definition and due to their continuous presence in the cultural history of Iran; Therefore, the scientific confrontation with this Iranian phenomenon requires various approaches, so that it is not possible to recognize and analyze Sufism from a fixed perspective. Sufi scholars, especially Western mystics, have used various approaches such as phenomenology, mythology, linguistics, hermeneutics, etc. to recognize and discover the symbols and basically what and how Sufism is.Although the orientalist approach has a long history, it has no background in recognizing and analyzing the approaches with which Western mysticism has explored Sufism. . Due to the study gap, apart from the present study, there is no independent and comprehensive research that has examined the necessity of the methodology and research approach of Orientalists in mystical studies in general, and Louise's mysticism in particular.The basis of the present study is a reflection on the research of Leonard Lewisohn (1953-2018), an American mystic who, in comparison with many orientalists, has analyzed Persian mystical texts with structured methodologies and approaches. This Sufi scholar has used different approaches in his Sufi studies depending on the context and time of the subject. In this discourse, due to the necessity of his mystical approach, he has studied and analyzed Lewisohn's research from this perspective, and we have come to the conclusion that he has well understood that looking at mysticism from a perspective is a component.Or a particular feature, causes the subject to be seized, reduced, or ideologized; Therefore, by choosing both aesthetic and historical-social approaches in his mystical studies, he has sought a more comprehensive and realistic cognition of Sufism.Results and Discussion In his mysticism, Leonard Lewisohn has explored Sufism with specific approaches such as aesthetic, historical, social, and comparative approaches. What the Orientalist's methodological analysis shows is that the socio-historical aspect is more analytical than his other approaches, and his aspects of Sufism no longer have the depth of this approach Lewisohn's aesthetic view of mystical texts is, above all, corresponding to mystical symbolism and its interpretation and literary artistic functions. He considers the aesthetics of Sufism to be inspired and discovered, and calls it the "aesthetics of taste." According to Lewisohn, the aesthetics of Sufism depends on the knowledge of the cognitive metaphors of Sufism, the origin of which is "science". Lewisohn considers the interpretation and decipherment of mystics' allegories as a work of art and believes that interpretation is the discovery of exemplary meanings and the understanding of the relationship between property and kingdom, which is possible by passing through the word and reaching the world of example.Another aesthetic aspect of Lewisohn's research is the discovery of artistic symbols of "infidelity." Lewisohn's explanation of this is not focused on the classification and interpretation of these symbols, but rather on the explanation of the political and social components of infidelity and the transgression of taboos. According to him, infidelity is the secret of esotericism and confrontation with the demonstration of the official religion, which reveals the totalitarian belief of the Sufis. Lewisohn has viewed the literary tradition of blasphemy and superficiality necessarily and exclusively from the socio-political dimension and function of transgression; While this kind of look is a reduction of the subject.History is the basis of Lewisohn's research; In such a way that he has never neglected the socio-historical approach in recognizing Sufism. According to his historical analysis, Sufism has had a wide and continuous function in the intellectual life of Iranians, so much so that he considers Sufism to be the "institutionalized religion of the masses." Examining this aspect of Lewisohn's research, we have come to the conclusion that the most important aspect of his historical approach is the conflict between jurists and Sufis; As far as he believes, the "historical evolution of the Sufi-Mullah transition" is very important for the flow of Sufi thought. The pivotal history of Lewisohn Behnik has revealed the background and time of Iranian Sufism; But sometimes, seeing merely historical matters of spirituality, has caused him to fall into the conflicts of jurists and Sufis and not be able to reveal and introduce the spirituality captured in history and society. The historical approach to the study of Sufi texts, for all its value, sometimes fails to discover the spiritual spirit of mysticism, and the spirituality trapped in history and society becomes merely ideology.
Islamic mysticism
Azita Belali e oskui; Morteza shajari; mina heydaritorkmani; seyd jalal mousavi sharabiani
Abstract
IntroductionHuman agency, both in creation and in recognition of architectural space and their interaction with the space, has been affected by the hidden harmony that is generated in the space, which turns the architectural space away from its static state, stillness, and lifelessness, and the core ...
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IntroductionHuman agency, both in creation and in recognition of architectural space and their interaction with the space, has been affected by the hidden harmony that is generated in the space, which turns the architectural space away from its static state, stillness, and lifelessness, and the core of the harmony is indeed the “unity”; that is, multiple parts find unity and totality within a whole that creates a sense inside, which fits the aesthetic desire and indeed the internal human self, because the human self seeks unity and suffers from multiplicity, diffusion, and conflicts (Ardalan et al., 2011). In fact, it might be acknowledged that architecture as a created work secretly involves the creation of multiplicity and turning it into unity in interaction with humans. Given the idea of the unity of existence (waḥdat al-wujūd) in Islamic mysticism, a world is portrayed that is, first, divine and spiritual, where the song of holiness resonates, and second, it involves a unity by which all multiple parts are unified, or more precisely speaking, all that exists is a manifestation or representation of the one unified reality. In this way, art in general and architecture in particular might come to have a different color. Unity of existence is evident in architectural work in the Islamic world, but the character of this unity is not adequately discussed. A genuine perception of unity in architectural space is not confined to external senses. To the contrary, in its higher degrees, i.e., internal senses, it affects the observer. The goal of the present research to identify the nature of this unity and how it occurs. The question of our research is as follows: are Ibn ʿArabī’s views of unity applicable to architectural space, and what material grounds are prepared in architectural space to attain the unity? To answer the question, we begin with an overview of Ibn ʿArabī’s mystical view, where the question of existence and knowledge of unity is discussed as the foundation of Ibn ʿArabī’s mysticism.According to our surveys, the issue of whether Ibn ʿArabī’s account of unity is applicable to architectural space has not been properly addressed in the past research. Instead, issues of the unity of existence and multiplicity within unity have been discussed separately in philosophy and architecture. Moreover, the architectural literature tends to focus on corporeal, visual, and symbolic aspects of architectural parts in the realization of unity. In the present research, we drawAssociate Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran (Corresponding Author). oskoyi@tabirziau.ac.irProfessor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran. mortezashajari@gmail.comD. Candidate of Islamic Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran. m.haydari@tabriziau.ac.irAssistant Professor, Department of Islamic Education, Faculty of Multimedia, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran. sjsharabiani@tabriziau.ac.irDate received: 2022/03/19, Date of acceptance: 2022/07/19 This article has been extracted from the course "Wisdom in Islamic Architecture" in the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of Tabriz Islamic Art University.on Ibn ʿArabī’s views about the questions of existence and knowledge of unity as the foundation of his mysticism to tackle material and perceptual grounds in the Islamic architectural space to examine the move from multiplicity to unity.Method of ResearchMethodologically speaking, the present research is descriptive-analytic, adopting the qualitative research approach. Qualitative research involves identification of the relevant references, studies and overviews of the written sources, comprehension of their meanings, and extraction of the relevant material, establishment of relations between issues, and providing descriptions and analyses of them.Discussion and ResultsCreation of multiplicity in architectural space and its transformation into unity has been effective in attaining an understanding of the existential unity, such that this understanding in architectural space was a determinant of the degree of the work’s life, and was somehow a cause of its existence. In fact, to attain such a unity, the human presence and existence in the space is undoubtedly what engenders a motion toward its recognition. Accordingly, the move from multiplicity to unity in architectural space implies physical movement (translocation – ocular) and semantic movement (mental movement). During the movement in architectural space, the observer’s physical movement turns into visual movement, which in turn results in reception of a series of regression and connections in the observer’s mind, leading to his or her mental movement. However, once the observer begins to recognize and see signs, it enables him or her to move in the world of imagination to attain unity. In fact, genuine unity is obtained through human imagination.ConclusionThere is a remarkable correspondence between perceptions of existential unity in both philosophy and architecture. On Ibn ʿArabī’s account, imagination is perception of images in the soul after having seen something. Indeed, imagination is the intermediary between dualities. So in his view, human imagination is capable of attaining unity in the world that is abstracted or detached from the sensible world (existence of multiplicity). Furthermore, in the unity of existence, finding the existence is the same as coming to exist, where the finding is through intuitions and revelations. In the Imam Mosque of Isfahan (or the Shah Mosque), manifestation of the pairs [imagination being in pair] in space provides a bedrock for the observer’s intuition and revelation of unity through a definition of hierarchies and qualitative geometry based on the principle of the centrality and symmetry and existence of light.
hossein hosseiniamin; fatemeh moinoldini
Abstract
Wise Sabzevari, who is one of the advocates of the issue of unity of subject and object, in addition to describing the arguments of Sadr al-Muta'lehīn, has put forward some arguments in support of this issue. In this research, the three arguments of matter and form; sensible immaterial; and transformation ...
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Wise Sabzevari, who is one of the advocates of the issue of unity of subject and object, in addition to describing the arguments of Sadr al-Muta'lehīn, has put forward some arguments in support of this issue. In this research, the three arguments of matter and form; sensible immaterial; and transformation of derivative to origin , which are based on his original arguments, have been criticized and evaluated formally and materially. The argument of matter and form is confiscated to principii petito, in which the claim principle is taken in the argument. The sensible immaterial argument, is misleading and fundamentally void, because in the third premise, there is a great confusion between the first carriage and the rushing carriage. In the third argument, the wise and sensible conversion to intellect does not mean that they will be united. Therefore, none of the three arguments are sufficient to prove unify of subject and object and reasonable, and does not have the ability to prove the claim. The formulation of arguments and criticisms is all new and the result of the writers' reflections
maryam asadian; Eliyas nuraei; khalil beygzade
Abstract
Afdal al-Din Kashani, the philosopher and divine sage of the sixth and seventh centuries, has written several works, in particular in the field of self-knowledge. One of the most significant philosophical concepts to which almost every philosopher has paid attention and Afdal al-Din has also given an ...
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Afdal al-Din Kashani, the philosopher and divine sage of the sixth and seventh centuries, has written several works, in particular in the field of self-knowledge. One of the most significant philosophical concepts to which almost every philosopher has paid attention and Afdal al-Din has also given an independent vote on, is the concept of the “time” and its relation to the aeon and eternity. He, like other metaphysicians, considers a transcendent principle for time which belongs to the world of immaterial things or intelligentsia. He considers “time” as the moving image of immortality, while he applies the word “aeon” instead of benefiting from the word of immortality. From Afdal’s point of view, Dahr is determined as the amount of existence. The important point is that the philosophy of Afdal is based on intuition and self- consciousness. Therefore, he is more likely to belong to the Ishraqiyun. Also, his emphasis on aeon, as the truth from eternity to eternity, leads us to the ancient origins of Afdal's viewpoint, in particular its relation to Zurvanite esoterism. In present paper, after mentioning the background about philosophical and mystical concepts of time, we will examine the Baba Afdal’s viewpoint in this regard beside explaining his mystical approach.
maryam asadian; Eliyas nuraei
Abstract
IntroductionThe supernatural (malakūtī) origin of things is an immaterial, illuminated, and self-subsistent substance, which Muslim philosophers, particularly Illuminationist philosophers, call the “Lord of Species” (rabb al-nawʿ); that is, archetype. In Illuminationist philosophy, lords ...
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IntroductionThe supernatural (malakūtī) origin of things is an immaterial, illuminated, and self-subsistent substance, which Muslim philosophers, particularly Illuminationist philosophers, call the “Lord of Species” (rabb al-nawʿ); that is, archetype. In Illuminationist philosophy, lords of species or lords of talismans (arbāb al-ṭilismāt) are the domineering horizontal lights (al-anwār al-qāhirat al-ʿarḍiyya) or equivalent intellects (al-ʿuqūl al-mutakāfiʾa), which al-Suhrawardī identifies with angels or illuminated essences in Zoroastrianism. Of all the species, the human soul has a supernatural origin or a lord, which is known in Islamic philosophy as the “tenth intellect” (based on how plurality issues forth from unity) and in religious terminology as the “Holy Spirit” (rūḥ al-qudus) or Gabriel. Almost all Muslim philosophers identify the lord of the human species with Gabriel or the Holy Spirit, who mediates God’s grace and is the giver of the forms (wāhib al-ṣuwar).Statement of the ProblemJust like other Illuminationist Platonist Muslim philosophers, Afḍal al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Maraqī al-Kāshānī, an Iranian philosopher in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, believed in two worlds: physical and spiritual. In his view, the physical world is an image of the higher world. He held that particular sensible forms and meanings in this world are mortal, all being images or representations of eternal forms in the intellectual world. On his account, each species in this physical world has a specific (species-related) form as an absolute universal in the non-physical world. The main question of the present article concerns Afḍal al-Dīn Kāshānī’s view of the lord of the human species, given that his philosophy rests upon illuminations, intuitions, and consciousness. Indeed, how does he define the nature of the human soul as supernal origin of the human species? A survey of Afḍal al-Dīn’s philosophical works reveals that his view differs from that of other Muslim philosophers, opening a new path to philosophical discussions of the lord of human species.Method of ResearchThe method of research in the present article is analytic-descriptive based on library studies. We first surveyed the philosophical problem of the “lord of species” in philosophical works before Bābā Afḍal, and then elaborated upon the Illuminationist view of the matter based on al-Suhrawardī’s works. We then accounted for Afḍal al-Dīn Kāshānī’s theories of the spiritual origin of souls in terms of the theory of correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm based on his philosophical works, and then adduced evidence from his philosophical essays to expound his view of the lord of the human species. The contribution of this research is elaboration of the distinction between his view and the views of other Muslim philosophers, which is left unnoticed in other relevant research into Bābā Afḍal’s works. This article considers his view to bring to light the connection between Islamic philosophy and mysticism. For by characterizing Azrael as the lord of the human species, he says that the outcome of the soul is voluntary death or the stage of annihilation.Discussion and ResultsAfḍal al-Dīn Kāshānī asserts that the soul is pre-eternal, having an intellectual origin that counts as the director and trainer (lord) of the soul. Afḍal al-Dīn’s angelology is closely tied to his principle of the correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm. Accordingly, he matches the four archangels in macrocosm (Michael, Israfil, Azrael, and Gabriel) with the four souls within humans (microcosm); that is, the supernal soul, the retaining soul (al-nafs al-ḥāfiẓa), the inscribing soul (al-nafs al-kātiba), and the rational soul (al-nafs al-nāṭiqa). Contrary to other philosophers who identify the lord of the human species with Gabriel, he identifies the nature of the human soul or the lord of human species with Azrael, the angel of death.Bābā Afḍal believes that forms and meanings are separate (albeit mutually entailing) parts, where the former belongs to the physical world and the latter to the spiritual world. He holds that to separate form from meaning is indeed to separate physical beings from spiritual beings. The world of forms is the world of annihilation and mortality, and the world of meaning is the world of immortality and eternity. On this theory, he concludes that Azrael is the true nature of the soul in that the human soul has the function of receiving things and taking the spirit of meanings from templates of forms, just as Azrael takes life from things. The human soul is mainly characterized by knowing things or by consciousness, which is indeed to take and receive the life of things—that is, their meanings and truths—from their forms.ConclusionA survey of Afḍal al-Dīn Kāshānī’s works shows that, on the problem of the lord of human species, he offers a view distinct from the views of Peripatetic and Illuminationist philosophers before him. Contrary to other philosophers who identify the lord of human species with Gabriel or the tenth intellect from among all the angels or intellects, he identifies it with the angel of death, Azrael, as the origin and true nature of the rational soul, based on form-meaning bifurcation. He maintains that, having arrived at self-consciousness by virtue of turning away from forms and turning to meanings, the human soul observes truths, and by shedding the light of meaning on forms, the concealed will be disclosed to it.
Zahra Bahremand
Abstract
Resālat al-Abrāj or Kalemāte Zowqiye is one of Sohrevardi’s symbolic treatises in Arabic studied less. With Henry Corbin’s phenomenological hermeneutics, we understand it represents the story of lovingly returning of a soul to his original homeland, in which is revealed to the soul his ...
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Resālat al-Abrāj or Kalemāte Zowqiye is one of Sohrevardi’s symbolic treatises in Arabic studied less. With Henry Corbin’s phenomenological hermeneutics, we understand it represents the story of lovingly returning of a soul to his original homeland, in which is revealed to the soul his story of travelling through the phenomena of real and live symbols, in such a manner that he is saved and returned to his origin through this revealing. Corbin believes "returning to the Origin" is the very principle that contemporary man has forgotten following the body-mind dualism of post-Descartian cosmology, caused by disappearing of an intermediator i.e. the world of soul in his active and spiritual imagination. What makes imagination agent and spiritual is the love for returning to the true homeland; with gnosis reminding it and referring to the angelic origin. Corbin describes the spiritual hermeneutics as returning to the origins and archetypes of phenomena, revealed to the soul through dematerialization and active imagination in the intermediate world. He tries to represent the contemporary aspect of “mundus imaginalis” as the theory of “active imagination” and his especial phenomenology. Here we present this lovingly returning in the mirror of symbols wherein the origins of phenomena appeared.
Morteza Shajari
Volume 1, Issue 1 , September 2010, , Pages 29-54
Abstract
A number of Muslim mystics believe that knowledge consists of the truths which man’s soul has learned or acquired before being trapped by man’s body and becoming a prisoner in the veils of this material world. This was called the remembrance theory in the philosophy of Plato, and it was based ...
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A number of Muslim mystics believe that knowledge consists of the truths which man’s soul has learned or acquired before being trapped by man’s body and becoming a prisoner in the veils of this material world. This was called the remembrance theory in the philosophy of Plato, and it was based on the acceptance of the immateriality of the soul, a certain relationship between soul and body and the priority of the soul to body. The prophets and the divine saints have come to notify the people and to make them remember those truths in man’s life which he has forgotten because of the veils covering his soul. The reason for the revelation of the Qurān which is called “remembrance” is also emphasizing this fact. The mystic, who moves in the path of Allāh, when coming out of the veils of his body, attains Self- knowledge, a kind of knowledge which is the knowledge of all truths and knowledge about God himself. The present article deals with the differences between Muslim mystics on this issue according to their theoretical and tasting foundations; also the explanation and analysis of “the resemblance theory” in Sufism are examined. Before explaining this theory, we have given a brief explanation of the founfations of this theory such as “the reality of the soul”, “the relation between the soul and the body” and “the priority of the soul to body".
Gholam Hossein Khedri; Mohammad Hadi Tavakkoli
Volume 2, Issue 2 , October 2011, , Pages 35-52
Abstract
In Western and Islamic philosophy, one of the most complex and controversial ontological topics has do with the relationship between mind and phenomenal objects, that is the relationship between the form in the mind and the material and objective form. This issue has stirred great confusion for philosophers ...
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In Western and Islamic philosophy, one of the most complex and controversial ontological topics has do with the relationship between mind and phenomenal objects, that is the relationship between the form in the mind and the material and objective form. This issue has stirred great confusion for philosophers seeking to explain the relationship of knowledge and the "outside world". In this article we present and compare Kant and Mulla Sadra's philosophical solutions to this problem. Although in Mulla Sadra's philosophy, mind and phenomenal objects do not stand on the same ontological levels, however according to the "primacy of existence" (Aṣālat al-wujūd) principle, the two are alongside each other. Knowledge is not separate from ontology and relies on the outside world in its process of perception occurring through the help of the senses, the imagination, reason, and intuition. What occurs between the outside world and the mind is called by Mulla Sadra the construction of quiddity. Quiddity is neither bound to the mind or the outside world; however it is necessary on every ontological level and participates in all the levels of perception. Mulla Sadra can explain the relationship between the intuitions of the mind and the outside world first by positing a soul which creates forms and elements related to perception and secondly, by filling the gap between mind and phenomenal objects by postulating a division of ontological levels. According to Kant, knowledge requires two things: a) observation, which is given to us in space and time and b) the reception of an intelligible upon what has been observed. For the process to occur the phenomenal object and the intelligible must share a similarity. Some intelligibles have no similarity with anything from the experiential level. Kant, in trying to reconcile mind and the phenomenal objects uses the concept of Transcendental Schemata, that is forms produced in time by the imagination. By arguing for a direct reciprocity between the phenomena and the intelligible, Kant is bound to uphold the reciprocity between phenomena and transience.
malek shojai
Volume 7, Issue 1 , May 2016, , Pages 35-55
Mohammad Hadi Tavakoli; Mohammad Saeedimehr
Volume 4, Issue 2 , October 2013, , Pages 37-52
Abstract
The theory of unification of the intellect and the intelligible is one of the most impotant issue in the transcendent philosophy. Allameh tabatabaii accepts this theory, but criticizes one of the proofs which Sadra had presented for it. Instead, he offers a new method to prove the theory.
In this article ...
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The theory of unification of the intellect and the intelligible is one of the most impotant issue in the transcendent philosophy. Allameh tabatabaii accepts this theory, but criticizes one of the proofs which Sadra had presented for it. Instead, he offers a new method to prove the theory.
In this article we will analyze and criticize the allameh tabatabaii 's mathod in proving the thory, then through a comparative approach, we will dicuss about differentiations of these two philosopher’s veiws about the problem.
Bagar Hossinlo; Hamed Naji
Volume 5, Issue 4 , February 2015, , Pages 37-66
Abstract
The root and source of the unity of existence is mysticism, and it has been entered into philosophy from this realm. Perhaps the first philosophical explanation of the mystics’ unity of existence doctrine has been done by Dawwani. But this philosophical explanation has some unjustified and irrational ...
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The root and source of the unity of existence is mysticism, and it has been entered into philosophy from this realm. Perhaps the first philosophical explanation of the mystics’ unity of existence doctrine has been done by Dawwani. But this philosophical explanation has some unjustified and irrational consequences and accessories. Sadra, also, makes his best efforts to give a philosophical explanation of mystics’ unity of existence of doctrine. He did that through abandoning the theory of analogical unity of existence and suggesting a new philosophical system, whose pieces have been mentioned in Asfar (Volume II) and other places of the book and also in the book of Igaz an-naimin (Awakening the sleepers). By this way, he not only has not ended philosophy, but has brought it into a new realm of philosophical thoughts. So, we must design this new philosophical system to understand this important stage of his philosophy, especially to understand his philosophical explanation of personal unity and its valuable accessories.
In this paper we describe briefly the philosophical system and the ontology of Dawwani’s approach, and attempt, as much as possible, express his philosophical explanation of unity of existence through an optimistic outlook. Then we will show that even though there are some the similarities between this explanation and Sadra's philosophical explanation, Dawwani’s approach is self-inconsistent and that is why we will criticize it ultimately. Afterwards, we continue to express the Sadra's philosophical explanation of mystical unity of existence. So the object of this paper is to compare these two philosophical explanation, reveal their strengths and weaknesses, also the relationship between these two explanations. It will be clear that Sadra's philosophical explanation is worthy and reasonably defensible through a new philosophical system which has been followed by Sadra and he has referred to it in his books, not in the analogical unity of existence
Mohammad Saeedi Mehr
Abstract
From the past, philosophers through philosophical approaches have tried to uncover the hidden aspects of the phenomenon that we call ‘pain’. One of the basic questions in this regard is the nature of pain to which Ibn Sina has addressed. Avicenna believes that the concept of pain is not self-evident, ...
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From the past, philosophers through philosophical approaches have tried to uncover the hidden aspects of the phenomenon that we call ‘pain’. One of the basic questions in this regard is the nature of pain to which Ibn Sina has addressed. Avicenna believes that the concept of pain is not self-evident, sonot only onecan define it, but should do so. In his book Al-Isharatva Al-Tanbihāt, he has provided a precise definition of pain,according to whichpain is the perception of what is perceived as a pest and evil qua pest and evil. Nasir al-Din Tusi, in his commentary on the book, has given a detailed analysis of this definition. In spite of its precision, it seems that Ibn Sina's definition suffers from someambiguities, for exampleit is not clear whether the pain is merely a subjective matter or has objective features. Moreover, the lack of clarity in the distinction between acquirable (mediated) knowledge and direct (unmediated) knowledge in Sheikh’s philosophy, has made it difficult to express the being directness feature of pain as a kind of perception, in this definition.
Vahid Khademzadeh
Abstract
In cognitive linguistics, conceptual/cognitive metaphor refers to the understanding of an idea, or a conceptual domain, in terms of another. In fact, in the ‘cognitive metaphor theory’ (CMT), metaphors are mappings from one conceptual domain known as the source domain onto another conceptual ...
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In cognitive linguistics, conceptual/cognitive metaphor refers to the understanding of an idea, or a conceptual domain, in terms of another. In fact, in the ‘cognitive metaphor theory’ (CMT), metaphors are mappings from one conceptual domain known as the source domain onto another conceptual domain, known as the target domain, thus, the removal of metaphors will result in the failure of the relevant cognitive process. Greek and Muslim philosophers, including Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Avicenna and Sadr al-Dīn Shīrāzī (Mullā Sadrā), made use of the cognitive metaphorization of the real- or substantive existent entity as a ‘state of subsistence’. Each of the abovementioned towering philosophers presented their own recognition of a substantive-existent entity, but all converge in their emphasis on the crucial role of the ‘subsistence’ as a conceptual metaphor for understanding of the ontological state and the qualities of a substantive existent entity. Muslim philosophers also made use of terms such as ‘establishment’ (taqarrur) and ‘righteousness’ (qawām) which actually remain in the semantic sphere of ‘subsistence’ (thubūt) and are usually applied as cognitive metaphors for understanding of the qualities of a substantive existent entity. In the school of Avicenna, both being/existence (wujūd) and quiddity/essence (māhiyya) are considered to be in a state of subsistence, but in Sadr al-Dīn’s school, it is only the existence/being which must be regarded as being so.
