being

Open Access Article

1 - Apriori Differentiated Knowledge and the Principle of “the Truth in its Simplicity Contains all Things”
Rouhollah Souri

The most important realm of divine knowledge is the apriori knowledge (the knowledge of essence through the other at the level of essence). Some believe that if this knowledge is differentiated and is the same as essence, the simplicity of the divine essence will be alt More

The most important realm of divine knowledge is the apriori knowledge (the knowledge of essence through the other at the level of essence). Some believe that if this knowledge is differentiated and is the same as essence, the simplicity of the divine essence will be altered. However, Mulla Sadra considers them to be consistent with each other based on the principle of “the truth in its simplicity contains all things”. He argues that the differentiatedness and distinction of the known are other than the differentiation of knowledge itself. The order of being enjoys vertical gradation (causal), and the effect is the weakened form of the cause. Therefore, the higher level (cause) contains the existence of the lower level (effect) in a superior from (without its defects). The Necessary Being enjoys the most supreme and simplest level of the order of being. Hence, He is the higher existence of all objects, and His presential knowledge of Himself is the same as the differentiated knowledge of objects before their creation. This type of knowledge is simple but provides a differentiated interpretation of objects. On the other hand, the essence of the Necessary lacks any limitation and defect. Thus some maintain that Mulla Sadra’s interpretation pertains to simple apriori knowledge. Based on the principles of the Transcendent Philosophy, it can be said that the truth of being (the supreme existence of objects) is like a line the components of which lack actual realization. The limits of the truth of being do not fill the outside but are, indeed, true about it. Therefore, they are mortal and annihilated in the context of existence. Thus the knowledge of the supreme existence of itself reveals its own limits so that it does not result in the rise of multiplicity in essence. The meaning of “simple knowledge indicating differentiated explanations” is nothing other than what was said above. Accordingly, the realization of the limits of objects in the divine realm is like the annihilating realization of the line’s components. In other words, limits and their resulting multiplicity enjoy truth but lacks external existence. Manuscript profile

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2 - Order of Being and Ought-tos in the Book of Creation and the Book of Religion
Seyyed Mostafa Muhaqqiq Damad

The discussion regarding the problem of order in Islamic wisdom are classified under two titles: “book of creation” and “book of divine legislation/religion”. The book of creation explains and describes the necessary order dominating the world. The book of religion cont More

The discussion regarding the problem of order in Islamic wisdom are classified under two titles: “book of creation” and “book of divine legislation/religion”. The book of creation explains and describes the necessary order dominating the world. The book of religion contains the rules which have been devised to grant order to Man’s process of perfection. The major feature of the book of religion is that it has been developed based on the idea of Man as a free-willed being. Therefore, it contains a collection of recommended rules rather than obligatory laws. In the Transcendent Philosophy, these two types of order match each other. Mulla Sadra, himself, refers to them as “genetic” and “religious” affairs. Based on this view, we can say that, even with regard to human and social laws, the order intended by Mulla Sadra is of the type of real and objective, rather than mentally-posited, affairs. In the Transcendent Philosophy, obeying religious teachings is considered to be the right path leading to human perfection. This is the same as obeying the principles dominating the system of being or, in ‘Allamah Tabataba’i’s words, obeying fitrah or the primordial nature. This path and order are shared by all individuals and societies at all times and in all places and provide the possibility for happiness and living a social life for all human beings. Manuscript profile

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3 - The Relationship between Existence and Quiddity in the Transcendent Philosophy
Maqsud Mohammadi

The kind of the relationship between existence and quiddity in the Transcendent Philosophy has been propounded in the discussions on the principiality of existence and the mentally-posited nature of quiddity. Mulla Sadra has explained this relationship in two ways. On t More

The kind of the relationship between existence and quiddity in the Transcendent Philosophy has been propounded in the discussions on the principiality of existence and the mentally-posited nature of quiddity. Mulla Sadra has explained this relationship in two ways. On the one hand, he argues that existence is originally and essentially realized, and quiddity is realized by accident and through the mediation of existence, with which it is eventually united. On the other hand, he believes that it is only “existence” which is objectively realized, and quiddity never steps into the realm of existence and is merely a mentally-posited affair which the intellect abstracts from existence. These two apparently different interpretations seem to have created a confusion among the researchers in this field. That is why some of them have accused him of contradiction, and some others have tried to justify this contradiction in a way. However, a reference to Mulla Sadra’s collection of works makes it clear that these two interpretations are not contradictory. When he states that existence and quiddity are realized by essence and by accident, respectively, he is referring to the nature of the existent, and when he negates the existence and realization of quiddity, he is referring to quiddity in separation from existence. In this paper, the writer has tried to clarify this point by reference to the works of Mulla Sadra himself. Manuscript profile

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4 - An Analysis and Evaluation of the Principles and Arguments of the Particular Gradation of Being
Esmat Hemmaty Esmat Hemmaty

The particular gradation of the reality of being is one of the important bases of the Transcendent Philosophy. After proving it, Mulla Sadra demonstrated and explained some other problems such as the unity of being in its multiplicity, the trans-substantial motion, the More

The particular gradation of the reality of being is one of the important bases of the Transcendent Philosophy. After proving it, Mulla Sadra demonstrated and explained some other problems such as the unity of being in its multiplicity, the trans-substantial motion, the argument of the righteous, and some other peripheral problems based on this principle. Early logicians and philosophers had accepted the conceptual unity of being in the sense that the concept of being is predicated on dissimilar referents, and that the referents of being differ from each other in terms of priority and posteriority, strength and weakness, quantity, and precedence and succession. Mulla Sadra proved that the reality of being, in its unity and essence, is the origin of all effects including these graded differences. Accordingly, being is a graded reality one grade of which is the Necessary Being, and the other grades of which, from the first emanated to the hyle, are the individuals and grades of the same reality. The present paper explores the historical background of the discussion of gradation as viewed by Ibn Sina and Suhrawardi. In doing so, through a brief examination of the arguments of each of these two philosophers, it focuses on Mulla Sadra’s judgment between them and then inquires into the basic principles of the discussion of gradation, that is, univocality and principiality of existence, and examines Mulla Sadra’s arguments for the demonstration of gradation. Finally, based on a rational and analytic defense of the standpoint of the Transcendent Philosophy in this regard, the authors have tried to respond to some of the objections to Mulla Sadra’s principles and arguments in relation to the gradation of being. Manuscript profile

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5 - Unity of Being, Unity of Intuition, and Speaking of God
Ghasim Kakaie Tayyebeh Masoumi

One of the most important discussions in Islamic philosophy, kalam, and gnosis is speaking of God. The “unity of being” and “unity of intuition” have been proposed as two approaches to the quality of the relationship between the wayfaring gnostic servant and God and spe More

One of the most important discussions in Islamic philosophy, kalam, and gnosis is speaking of God. The “unity of being” and “unity of intuition” have been proposed as two approaches to the quality of the relationship between the wayfaring gnostic servant and God and speaking of Him. Each of these approaches has some representatives in the tradition of Islamic gnosis and each has specific beliefs regarding gnostic unity. In this paper, through explaining the theories of the unity of being (based on Ibn Arabi’s ideas) and the unity of intuition (based on ‘Ala al-Dawlah Semnani’s views), the writers initially discuss their differences concerning unity. Then they explore the concept of “personal God” as one of the necessities and basic principles of the theory of the unity of intuition as opposed to the Absolute God of the theory of the unity of being. Manuscript profile

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6 - Contexts and Causes of Posing Inconsistent Philosophical Theories in Mulla Sadra’s Works
Saeed Anvari

In his various works, Mulla Sadra has presented different views concerning certain philosophical issues which cannot be gathered in a single philosophical system. In this paper, with reference to such issues, the writers have examined the causes of these different views More

In his various works, Mulla Sadra has presented different views concerning certain philosophical issues which cannot be gathered in a single philosophical system. In this paper, with reference to such issues, the writers have examined the causes of these different views. For a more thorough study of the related cases, they have investigated different theories including the trans-substantial motion, the mediating movement, the cause of time, the nature of knowledge, God’s knowledge of particulars, divine activity, the cause-effect relation, the criterion for the dependence of possible beings on the Necessary Being, meanings of quiddity, the quality of attribution of existence to quiddity, unity of being, immateriality, and createdness of the soul. A study of these issues indicate that the existence of different views in Mulla Sadra’s works is rooted in one of the following factors: 1) a change in his philosophical theories and ideas over time (initially, he believed in the principiality of quiddity, then in the principiality of existence and gradedness of being, and finally in the individual unity of existence); 2) observing the instructional aspect in expressing his views, 3) posing his theories based on different principles (people, graded unity of being, and individual unity of existence); 4) trying to compose a pseudo-encyclopedic series of books on philosophical discussions. Manuscript profile

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7 - Semantics of the Appellation “Necessary Being in itself”
Seyyed Mohammad Entezam

The synthetic name of “Necessary Being in itself” is one of the most important names that Muslim philosophers, from Farabi to those of the present period, have used in their philosophical theology and, based on which, discussed the existence, attributes, and acts of God More

The synthetic name of “Necessary Being in itself” is one of the most important names that Muslim philosophers, from Farabi to those of the present period, have used in their philosophical theology and, based on which, discussed the existence, attributes, and acts of God. In this paper, the writer has tried to analyze and explore the important points and ideas presented regarding this synthetic name through reviewing philosophical and kalami sources. The purpose here is twofold: to become familiar with some errors such as the “mixture of concept and referent” and the “mixture of the second philosophical intelligible with the first one”, which has occurred here, and to attain an accurate and defensible meaning of this name. In doing so, the writer initially demonstrates that two words of this synthetic name (being and necessary) are evident, polysemous, and secondary intelligibles and explains the importance of this point in the semantics of this name. Secondly, he analyzes and investigates the most important definitions provided for this name. From among the given six definitions, he criticizes the first and the fourth of them and pinpoints the sources of the errors committed in them. Later, while confirming the second, third, and fifth definitions, following Farabi, Ibn Sina, and Mulla Sadra, the writer chooses the definition of the Necessary Being in itself as a truth which is the same as existence as the best definition in a conceptual domain. Finally, he moves from the domain of “concept” to the domain of “existence” and provides an ontological interpretation of this name. Manuscript profile

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8 - A Study of ‘Allamah Tabataba’i’s Argument on Referring the Theory of “Gradation of Existence” to the Theory of the “Individual Unity of Existence”
Hossein Kalbasi Ashtari Mehdi Sa‘atchi

The theory of the individual unity of being is the basis of gnostic ontology. Therefore, a number of gnostic researchers have tried to demonstrate this theory in order to defend and explain their standpoint in this regard. The contemporary philosopher and gnostic, ‘Alla More

The theory of the individual unity of being is the basis of gnostic ontology. Therefore, a number of gnostic researchers have tried to demonstrate this theory in order to defend and explain their standpoint in this regard. The contemporary philosopher and gnostic, ‘Allamah Tabataba’i, has also adduced some arguments in his works in order to prove this claim. In one of these arguments, through analyzing the argument of muta’allih philosophers concerning the congruent unity of being and its gradedness, he has demonstrated gnostics claim as to the individual unity of existence. This is an innovative and noteworthy argument regarding its way of reasoning, its dealing with the peripheral issues and different consequences of the problem and, particularly, its role in clarifying the relationship between the theories of gnostics and philosophers. After referring to each of these theories, the writers explain and analyze the above argument in this paper and examine some of its consequences. Manuscript profile

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9 - A Critical Study of Fayyad Lahiji’s View of the Gnostic Oneness of Being
mahmoud saidi hadi hashemi

One of the most important issues in theoretical gnosis which gnostics have tried to explain in the light of gnostic principles is the oneness of being. Nevertheless, the basic problem here is the demonstration of this gnostic theory. Fayyad Lahiji, one of the most promi More

One of the most important issues in theoretical gnosis which gnostics have tried to explain in the light of gnostic principles is the oneness of being. Nevertheless, the basic problem here is the demonstration of this gnostic theory. Fayyad Lahiji, one of the most prominent Shi‘ite mutikalimun and philosophers, initially advanced certain criticisms against the theory of the oneness of being based on the principles of the Peripatetic philosophy, then equated it with the graded oneness of being in the Transcendent Philosophy, and finally provided a philosophical kalami critique of Muhaqqiq Dawani’s theory in this regard. The present study indicates that Lahiji’s criticisms of the theory of the oneness of being were rooted in his ignorance of the related gnostic principles and the fact that the gradedness of being is different from the oneness of being in the view of gnostics. Hence, one cannot equate the oneness of being with the gradedness of being. Dawani’s theory also suffers from confusing the meanings of shared gnostic/philosophical and kalami terminology with each other. Manuscript profile

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10 - Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra on the Soul-Body Relation: An Evaluation of the Efficiency of their Principles in Attaining their Ends
Furugh al-Sadat Rahimpoor

One of the differences between Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra in the field of anthropology pertains to their approach to soul-body relation. This difference is rooted in the principles underlying the philosophical school of each of them. The soul-body relation, according to M More

One of the differences between Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra in the field of anthropology pertains to their approach to soul-body relation. This difference is rooted in the principles underlying the philosophical school of each of them. The soul-body relation, according to Mulla Sadra, is an essential and existential relation, which is the reason why he argues for the elemental body functioning as the material cause of the soul’s physical level. In contrast, based on Ibn Sina’s views, the soul needs the body merely for the acquisition of existential perfections and not for its very existence. Moreover, he maintains that there is no essential causation between the body and the soul. Next, Ibn Sina holds that the soul and the body enjoy composition by way of unification, and so does Mulla Sadra; however, he maintains that it is only through accepting some of the basic principles of the Transcendent Philosophy that one can justify this union. The next problem is that if the body and the soul have an ontological relationship with each other rather than an accidental one, is it possible for the soul’s dependence on the body to be disrupted? Besides, if it is certainly obvious that the soul is graded, should one not consider the body to be graded so that it could maintain its unity with the soul at its different levels? Due to the differences between the underlying principles of their philosophies, Mulla Sadra and Ibn Sina provide different responses to the above questions. This paper aims to study such responses analytically and evaluate the efficiency of these underlying principles in addressing their intended targets. Manuscript profile

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11 - A Critical Analysis of Abdulrazzaq Lahiji’s View of the World of Suspended Ideas
Zakaria Baharnezhad

Believing or not believing in the world of suspended Ideas is one of the philosophical problems which affects philosophers’ approaches and methods in conducting their studies. Hence, it is necessary to examine this problem more profoundly following a new approach and be More

Believing or not believing in the world of suspended Ideas is one of the philosophical problems which affects philosophers’ approaches and methods in conducting their studies. Hence, it is necessary to examine this problem more profoundly following a new approach and benefitting from original and authentic sources. In the same vein, the present paper is intended to, firstly, present a clear picture of the “world of suspended Ideas” and its difference from “Platonic Ideas” in Suhrawardi’s view. Next, the author explains Hakim Abdulrazzaq Lahiji’s view of Suhrawardi’s world of suspended Ideas and presents his critique in this regard. Finally, he tries to respond to Lahiji’s criticisms. The author does not believe that he has covered all the details with respect to the theme of this paper; however, he can claim that no reliable research or critical study has ever been conducted on Hakim Lahiji’s view of the theory of suspended Ideas. Mulla Hadi Sabziwari, the theologian philosopher, provided some responses to Lahiji’s criticisms in his book of Asrar al-hikam; nevertheless, his responses are not conclusive, and they are very difficult to understand. It is hoped that this study opens the way for a new series of research activities in this regard. The author also hopes that future studies on the world of suspended Ideas will not suffer from the potential deficits of this study. Manuscript profile

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12 - A Critical Study of the Objections against Ḥakīm Ghomsheī’s Argument on Demonstrating the Necessity of God’s Existence
Reza Hesari Mojtaba Mirdamadi Abolfazl Rezai

Several arguments have been adduced on demonstrating the individual unity of being. Most of these arguments, which have been presented by such gnostics as Dāvood Qayṣarī, Ḥamzah Fanārī, and Ibn Turkah, suffer from some defects in terms of a confusion of concept and refe More

Several arguments have been adduced on demonstrating the individual unity of being. Most of these arguments, which have been presented by such gnostics as Dāvood Qayṣarī, Ḥamzah Fanārī, and Ibn Turkah, suffer from some defects in terms of a confusion of concept and referent. In his glosses on Tamhīd al-qawā’id (the section on the arguments on the demonstration of the individual unity of existence), Ḥakīm Moḥammad Rezā Ghomsheī has presented an argument which demonstrates the pre-eternal necessity of God. However, three criticisms have been advanced against it. The first concerns the meaning of the absolute nature of being, which has been stated ambiguously. The second criticism questions the confusion of concept and referent. The first part of the third criticism targets the whole argument, based on the presupposition of the realization of the essence of nature, and its second part objects to the consistency of the realization of the essence of the nature of existence with limited existences, as acknowledged in Ghomsheī’s argument. Finally, the fourth focuses on the absence of any kind of innovation in this argument. Following an analytic-comparative method, this paper examines all these criticisms and responds to the first three of them. Accordingly, the authors acknowledge the truth of Ḥakīm Ghomsheī’s argument by presenting a detailed discussion in this paper. Manuscript profile

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13 - An Analytic Study of the Views of Mullā Ṣadrā and his Successors on the Nominal and Copulative Meanings of Being (Some Deliberations over the Linguistic Discussions of the Transcendent Philosophy)
Roohollah Daraei

Mullā Ṣadrā pays due attention to linguistic issues in the phrasing of his ideas and discusses the difference between nominal and copulative meanings. His commentators have detected some incoherences in his views so that they have judged some of them to be more accurate More

Mullā Ṣadrā pays due attention to linguistic issues in the phrasing of his ideas and discusses the difference between nominal and copulative meanings. His commentators have detected some incoherences in his views so that they have judged some of them to be more accurate and, thus, more favorable, than some others. Through propounding and comparing Mullā Ṣadrā’s views regarding the nominal and copulative meanings of being, the author presents a framework for posing some ontological, epistemological, and linguistic discussions in this paper. At the same time, relying on the linguistic discussions in jurisprudence (uṣūl-i fiqh), he introduces an analytic-linguistic approach in order to solve the problem of the existing incoherences. Mullā Ṣadrā believes that, on the one hand, one can reach the univocality of the nominal meaning of being (hast) through the univocality of the copulative meaning of being (ast). On the other hand, he argues that the difference between copulative being and predicative being pertains to their species. This view of Mullā Ṣadrā has raised different debates, interpretations, and questions among authorities in the field of philosophy. Some of these questions are as follows: Are these two views consistent with each other? Is this theory consistent with the gradation of existence and its univocal meanings? Are copulative and predicative existence commensurate with each other? Are the two classifications of being in the Transcendent Philosophy; i.e. the three-fold division of being into copula, copulative, and soulish and the two-fold division of being into copula and independent being, in contrast to each other? Are these two classifications consistent with Mullā Ṣadrā’s views in the field of nominal and copulative meanings? Manuscript profile

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14 - “I” and the Criterion for its Distinction from “others” in Suhrawardī, Mullā Ṣadrā, and Descartes
Sakineh Gharibi Sohrab Haghighat mansour Imanpour

20.1001.1.15600874.1400.26.4.6.5

The present study discusses the identity and referent of “I” and the criterion for distinguishing “true I” from the other in the views of Suhrawardī, Mullā Ṣadrā, and Descartes. According to these three philosophers, “I” is the external and self-revealing identity that More

The present study discusses the identity and referent of “I” and the criterion for distinguishing “true I” from the other in the views of Suhrawardī, Mullā Ṣadrā, and Descartes. According to these three philosophers, “I” is the external and self-revealing identity that Man learns about through presential knowledge. The referent of true I in Suhrawardī’s view is immaterial light, which enjoys continuous self-awareness through the permanent manifestation of essence. In Mullā Ṣadrā’s philosophy, referent is a level of existence which is continually in a state of change in the cradle of the trans-substantial motion; it is a graded realm with no fixed identity. For Descartes, the referent is an immaterial dimension that is continually involved in a state of thinking. Therefore, all three philosophers believe that true “I” is in fact a perceptive, knowledgeable, and thinking “I”. The distinction criterion for true I is also the same for all of them. This is because Suhrawardī and Mullā Ṣadrā consider continuous knowledge and not neglecting the self, which is the same as self-awareness, to be the distinction criterion for true I. However, Descartes’ criterion is clarity and distinction, which seem to be the same thing that Suhrawardī and Mullā Ṣadrā call continuous presence or self-awareness. Hence, it seems that the distinction criterion for “true I” is the same in the view of all the three philosophers. Manuscript profile

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15 - A Study of Ḥakīm Khājūī’s Objections to the Gnostic Theory of Oneness of Being
Mahmud Seydi Mohammad Javad Pashaei

20.1001.1.15600874.1400.27.1.3.9

As the basis of theoretical gnosis, oneness of being has provoked several debates among thinkers in the history of Islamic philosophy. Mullā Ismā‘īl Khājūī, one of the thinkers and Mutikallimun of the Safavid period and post-Sadrian era, has criticized this theory and c More

As the basis of theoretical gnosis, oneness of being has provoked several debates among thinkers in the history of Islamic philosophy. Mullā Ismā‘īl Khājūī, one of the thinkers and Mutikallimun of the Safavid period and post-Sadrian era, has criticized this theory and challenged it from different aspects. Khājūī rejects this theory based on the ontological differences between the Necessary Being and possible beings, absence of absoluteness in the Necessary Being, the lack of a rational argument for demonstrating the oneness of being, and the inefficiency of the arguments of some gnostics and mystics on proving this oneness. However, the present study postulates that Khājūī’s criticisms originate in confusing the different meanings of certain key terms in philosophical sciences and kalām with those in theoretical gnosis. Nevertheless, it seems that in certain cases, such as gnostics’ failure in adducing a rational argument for demonstrating the oneness of being, his criticism is justified. Manuscript profile

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16 - A Critical Study of Haeri Yazdi’s View of the Sadrian Semantic Function of “Possibility” in Explaining the Sinan Argument of the Righteous
Hamidreza Khademi

20.1001.1.15600874.1400.27.1.6.2

The argument of the righteous (Burhān al-Ṣiddīqīn) demonstrates the essence of the Necessary Being without resorting to an intermediary. This title was chosen for the first time by Ibn Sīnā in order to provide a new interpretation of an argument that Fārābī had previous More

The argument of the righteous (Burhān al-Ṣiddīqīn) demonstrates the essence of the Necessary Being without resorting to an intermediary. This title was chosen for the first time by Ibn Sīnā in order to provide a new interpretation of an argument that Fārābī had previously adduced. The argument of the righteous is one of the best and most concise philosophical and rational arguments on demonstrating the existence of God.This argument reasons from “being” to the “Necessary Being” so that none of God’s acts, such as motion or origination, functions as the middle term. Haeri Yazdi has tried to respond to the problems of this argument by explaining the meaning of possibility in the Peripatetic and Transcendent Schools of philosophy. Given his accurate analysis of the meaning of possibility, he believes that it can be used as a basis for proving the existence of the Necessary Being; therefore, it is not necessary to resort to the impossibility of infinite regression. Following an analytic comparative method and based on Mullā Ṣadrā’s valid criteria for the truth of the argument of the righteous, the present paper analyzes and examines Haeri Yazdi’s interpretation and shows that his view is not immune to criticism. Manuscript profile

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17 - A Study of the Role of Qur’anic Teachings in Philosophical Theology
Aireza Asadi

20.1001.1.15600874.1401.27.3.3.7

Some opponents of philosophy and many Orientalists believe that Islamic Philosophy simply repeats the words and views of Greek philosophers and is not only totally far from Islamic teachings but also sometimes in opposition to them. Through explaining the extent of the More

Some opponents of philosophy and many Orientalists believe that Islamic Philosophy simply repeats the words and views of Greek philosophers and is not only totally far from Islamic teachings but also sometimes in opposition to them. Through explaining the extent of the influence of the Holy Qur’an on a rational and philosophical discussion and a study of the works of Islamic philosophers, this paper aims to demonstrate that they have benefitted from Qur’anic teachings in order to expand and develop philosophical discussions and, particularly, philosophical theology. In other words, it intends to prove that the qualitative and quantitative expansion of philosophical problems, arguments, theories, and principles in the field of philosophical theology is indebted to Qur’anic teachings. This influence is to the extent that it has led to the conceptual and structural evolution of Greek philosophy and differentiates the general approach of Islamic philosophy from Greek philosophy. Manuscript profile

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18 - The Other and Individuation in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Philosophy
Zahra Karimi Majid Ziaei Ghahnavieh Alireza Hasanpour

20.1001.1.15600874.1401.27.3.5.9

The problem of other was propounded for the first time in Western philosophy by Emmanuel Levinas and its efficiency in justifying several ethical principles is undeniable. Moreover, it seems that the majority of present issues and complications in social and internation More

The problem of other was propounded for the first time in Western philosophy by Emmanuel Levinas and its efficiency in justifying several ethical principles is undeniable. Moreover, it seems that the majority of present issues and complications in social and international relationships can be resolved through a profound consideration of this problem. This discussion has apparently been developed during the contemporary period; however, several early philosophical views and ideas are also capable of resolving the related issues. One of the early philosophical schools with such a potential is Mullā Ṣadrā’s school of thought, which comprises the principles that are based on his ontological thoughts. The employment of the principles of the Transcendent Philosophy as a method of living can at least lead to some changes in People’s worldviews. For example, by lining up some philosophical principles such as the principiality and gradation of existence and the theory of existents’ manifestation, a new definition can be provided for the principle of individuation. Moreover, through a comparison of the principle of individuation with the Sadrian oneness of being, a number of noteworthy conclusions can be derived from this discussion. Manuscript profile

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19 - Ontology of the Spirit of Meaning in the Holy Qur’ān in Mullā Ṣadrā’s View and its Impact on the Discussion of the Quality of Coining Words
Maryam Kashefi Atiyeh Zandieh

20.1001.1.15600874.1401.27.4.6.2

The principle of “coining words for the spirit of meaning in the Holy Qur’ān” in Mullā Ṣadrā’s works is closely related to his philosophy. Therefore, considering the Sadrian ontology as the basis, one can learn about the ontological applications of the meanings of words More

The principle of “coining words for the spirit of meaning in the Holy Qur’ān” in Mullā Ṣadrā’s works is closely related to his philosophy. Therefore, considering the Sadrian ontology as the basis, one can learn about the ontological applications of the meanings of words and, thus, the quality of attaining the knowledge of them. In Mullā Ṣadrā’s view, the world, the Qur’ān, and the holy prophetic existence are three dimensions of the world that share a single and simple existence at the level of their “unfolded existence”, “immediate divine word”, and “Mohammedan truth”. They have dispersed at the level of the lower kingdom and are manifested in the form of the world of particular Ideas, the verbal Qur’ān, and the existence of the Holy Prophet (ṣ), respectively, and then descend to the world of matter. Mullā Ṣadrā believes that each lower level is an example of a higher level, and words are not an exception to this rule. In order to access the highest level of divine words, one should employ the principle of coining words for different types of meanings (absolute and general). Mullā Ṣadrā’s definition of spirit of meaning conforms with his definition of the natural universal and Platonic Ideas. The application and generalizability of the spirit of meaning in comparison to the natural universal originates in the limitedness of quiddity, while, in comparison to Platonic universals, it originates in existential amplitude. A comparison of the spirit of meaning and natural universals indicates that coinage of words is a human phenomenon, and the criterion for coining each word is the truth. Manuscript profile

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20 - Laws of Nature as Strategies for Man’s Happiness
S. Mohammad Khamenei

20.1001.1.15600874.1400.27.1.8.4

The world and nature have been created relying on certain divine rules and principles. Based on the Divine Will and pre-ordination, there is a mutual relationship and interaction not only between all the components of the world of being but also between them and the who More

The world and nature have been created relying on certain divine rules and principles. Based on the Divine Will and pre-ordination, there is a mutual relationship and interaction not only between all the components of the world of being but also between them and the whole world of creation. As a member of this world, Man can both affect it and be affected by it. This process has been predestined based on the main law and principle of this world, that is, the commensurability of “being” and “good”. Where there is good, there is being (and vice versa), and where there is no good, there is evil or non-being (and vice versa). The only way of attaining true happiness for Man is living in harmony with the system of nature and its governing rules. The divine tradition or the laws of nature are such that any deviation from them will lead to evil, misery, loss, calamity, disease, etc. The world (macro-anthropo) reacts to the good and bad deeds of human beings (micro-anthropo). Sin, which means any disobedience to the Divine orders or transgression from the laws of creation and nature, results in human misery and cruelty and will be followed by Divine punishment and torture. This is the point at which God’s glorious names and attributes are manifested. Manuscript profile

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21 - Principles of Sensibility of Being in the Transcendent Philosophy and its Effects on the Sustainable Development of the Environment
Laela Nikooienejad Ahmad Shahgoli

20.1001.1.15600874.1402.28.3.2.3

The environmental crisis of the last two centuries is one of the most important problems threatening the human society and life. Accordingly, human beings should find a way to control the wrong and sometimes immoral acts that damage the environment. Mullā Ṣadrā believes More

The environmental crisis of the last two centuries is one of the most important problems threatening the human society and life. Accordingly, human beings should find a way to control the wrong and sometimes immoral acts that damage the environment. Mullā Ṣadrā believes that nature, objects, and inanimate bodies enjoy knowledge and intelligence; therefore, the Transcendent Philosophy follows a holy approach to nature. Accordingly, in this paper, the authors have tried to highlight the moral beliefs that could lead to sustainable development in the environment by emphasizing their divine-philosophical bases through resorting to firsthand sources by and on Mullā Ṣadrā and employing rational analysis and explanation. The findings of this study indicate that a scrutinizing rereading of the sources on the Transcendent Philosophy, which provides a comprehensive philosophical interpretation of various issues based on Qur’ānic verses and traditions, can contribute to protecting the environment. This is because, based on some principles such as the principiality of existence, gradedness of existence, commensurability of the cause and effect, and the nature’s being a manifestation of higher worlds, it is possible to regain the lost respect for nature and its dignity, which have been developed based on the holy perspective of religions and philosophical schools, and prevent the destruction of nature and, following it, the death of human life. Manuscript profile

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