Intellect

Open Access Article

1 - Hakim Sabziwari’s View of the Correlation Argument on Demonstrating the Union of the Intellect and the Intelligible
Mohammad Hadi Tavakkoli Hussein Ali Shidanshid

Like Mulla Sadra, Hakim Sabziwari is an advocate of the theory of the union of the intellect and the intelligible. However, unlike him, Sabziwari has spoken differently and adopted different positions regarding the correlation argument, which is Mulla Sadra’s most impor More

Like Mulla Sadra, Hakim Sabziwari is an advocate of the theory of the union of the intellect and the intelligible. However, unlike him, Sabziwari has spoken differently and adopted different positions regarding the correlation argument, which is Mulla Sadra’s most important argument for demonstrating the above theory. Sabziwari has sometimes called it imperfect and referred to its defects and, at other times, he has viewed it as a perfect argument and defended it. This paper analyzes and examines his different statements about the correlation argument. In conclusion, the writers maintain that Hakim Sabziwari’s interpretation of Mulla Sadra’s argument is a specific one which is, in some cases, inconsistent with Mulla Sadra’s words. They also question his reasons for rejecting this argument; however, they declare that Sabziwari’s various positions with respect to the correlation argument could be considered to be, more or less, consistent with each other. Manuscript profile

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2 - Man’s Freedom and Divine Servitude in the Transcendent Philosophy
Mehdi Najafi Afra

Similar to other Islamic philosophers, Mulla Sadra views Man in the middle of the origin and the return. Accordingly, he speaks about the quality of their origination and return towards the Origin of all origins. Given his own particular philosophical principles, such a More

Similar to other Islamic philosophers, Mulla Sadra views Man in the middle of the origin and the return. Accordingly, he speaks about the quality of their origination and return towards the Origin of all origins. Given his own particular philosophical principles, such as the principiality, gradation, simplicity, and the trans-substantial motion of existence, he studies Man on the path of being and maintains that, as wayfarers of the path of existence, they travel from existence in existence, with existence, and towards existence. In this approach, human freedom, as a soulis habitus and moral virtue, has an ontological meaning that can be perceived in the light of theoretical and practical types of wisdom. According to Mulla Sadra, this level of existence can be attained by those human beings who, firstly, manage to develop a correct knowledge of existence and their own ontological truth from the viewpoint of theoretical wisdom and prepare their souls for receiving and observing true teachings from the supreme origins. Secondly, from the view point of practical wisdom, through having their rational faculty dominate their faculties of appetite and anger, they need to establish a balance in satisfying the demands of these faculties. A divine philosopher is the same true believer who has succeeded in attaining the end of theoretical wisdom, that is, the light and end of practical wisdom or the same open-mindedness. Freedom, which means liberation from all limitations, becomes manifest in its supreme meaning, that is, the same divine servitude that equals desiring and paying attention to the Absolute in a way that the wayfarer is freed from the ties of what is other than the Truth and is mortalized in the Truth. Manuscript profile

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3 - A Critique of a Critical Report on Mulla Sadra’s al-Hashr al-‘ashya’ Treatise
Maqsud Mohammadi

Corporeal resurrection is one of the necessary principles of Islam, and all Muslims, based on the explicit text of Qur’anic verses, believe in the Day of Resurrection. Accordingly, Islamic philosophers have tried to demonstrate this religious principle by means of philo More

Corporeal resurrection is one of the necessary principles of Islam, and all Muslims, based on the explicit text of Qur’anic verses, believe in the Day of Resurrection. Accordingly, Islamic philosophers have tried to demonstrate this religious principle by means of philosophical reasons. Some of them, such as Ibn Sina, have expressed their failure in demonstrating the corporeality of resurrection. However, Mulla Sadra has accomplished this task drawing on the principles of the Transcendent Philosophy, such as the principiality of existence, the trans-substantial motion, and the immateriality of imagination. He has explained his theory of corporeal resurrection not only in his various books but also in an independent treatise entitled al-Hashr al-‘ashya’, which is specifically on this theme. The esteemed corrector of this treatise has questioned some of Mulla Sadra’s statements, which the writer of this paper finds unfounded. Here, he has critically examined these conflicts. Manuscript profile

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4 - Simple Human Intellect in Mulla Sadra
Furugh al-Sadat Rahimpoor Maryam Fakhr al-Dini

In this paper, through examining the meanings of the “simple intellect” in Mulla Sadra’s view, the writers have tried to clarify its specific meaning in relation to the human soul. He maintains that unity and simplicity are among the characteristics of the simple human More

In this paper, through examining the meanings of the “simple intellect” in Mulla Sadra’s view, the writers have tried to clarify its specific meaning in relation to the human soul. He maintains that unity and simplicity are among the characteristics of the simple human intellect, and that the general acquisition of intelligible forms by the simple intellect is a particular attribute which distinguishes it from other levels of perception. The simple human intellect is a name coined for the level of acquired intellect in order to, firstly, explain the specific features of this level, that is, simplicity and unity, and secondly, to emphasize the ontological harmony of the acquired intellect with the “Active Intellect”, which is the origin of the emanation of intelligible forms and is in unity with the acquired reason. Mulla Sadra also uses the term “the simple intellect” to clarify the process of the descent of revelation and considers the descent of the Qu’ran to be the product of the union of the simple intellect of the human soul with the Active Intellect or the “Holy Spirit”. It is through this union that the “Divine Pen” or the same Active Intellect portrays intelligible forms on the tablet of the prophet’s rational soul. Manuscript profile

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5 - Ontological, Anthropological, and Epistemological Concomitants of the Theory of the Union of the Intellect and the Intelligible
Seyyed Morteza Hosseini Shahroudi Zohreh Salahshur Sefid Sangi

The principle of the union of the intellect and intelligible is one of the important discussions in Islamic philosophy. The background of this principle in Islamic philosophy goes back to the translation of the book Uthulugia, and Mulla Sadra explained it based on some More

The principle of the union of the intellect and intelligible is one of the important discussions in Islamic philosophy. The background of this principle in Islamic philosophy goes back to the translation of the book Uthulugia, and Mulla Sadra explained it based on some of his own philosophical principles such as the principiality of existence, gradation of existence, and the trans-substantial motion of the soul. He considers knowledge acquisition by the soul to be similar to the emergence of corporeal forms for matter. The soul unites with its cognitive forms in the same way that matter and form unite with each other. Through demonstrating the union of the intellect and the intelligible, Mulla Sadra presented a new theory of ontology, anthropology, and epistemology and, in this way, provided some new responses to the problems and questions before Muslim philosophers. It was in the light of this principle that he presented a new philosophical explanation for some problems such as the ontological perfection and gradation of the soul, embodiment of acts, the simple intellect, supra-intellectual immateriality of the soul, the unity of the soul with the active intellect, and the issues related to mental existence. Manuscript profile

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6 - A Study of the Effect of Mulla Sadra’s View of the Soul on his View of Revelation
Furugh al-Sadat Rahimpoor Majid Yaryan

Mulla Sadra based his Transcendent Philosophy and psychology on some principles which, before him, had not received much attention as fundamental principles of a school of philosophy. The trans-substantial motion of the soul from matter to kingdom, gradation of existenc More

Mulla Sadra based his Transcendent Philosophy and psychology on some principles which, before him, had not received much attention as fundamental principles of a school of philosophy. The trans-substantial motion of the soul from matter to kingdom, gradation of existence and the gradedness of the soul, the place of the world of imagination and the union of the soul with the Active Intellect are among these basic principles in Sadrian psychology. In this article, the writers explore the place of Mulla Sadra’s psychological principles in the knowledge of revelation and explanation of this process, as well as their impact on this field. From among the consequences of these principles we can refer to the kalami nature of revelation, its being impersonal and error-free, its being parallel with the intellect, and its continuity. Manuscript profile

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7 - Transformation of the Problem of “the Universal and the Particular” in Mulla Sadra’s Philosophy of Principiality of Existence
Mohammad Hosseinzadeh

One of the logical discussions which undergoes serious changes by accepting the principiality of existence is the problem of “the universal and the particular”. In the light of the principiality of existence and its ramifications, Mulla Sadra transformed the theory of a More

One of the logical discussions which undergoes serious changes by accepting the principiality of existence is the problem of “the universal and the particular”. In the light of the principiality of existence and its ramifications, Mulla Sadra transformed the theory of all philosophers in this regard and reconstructed this problem in accordance to the principles of his own ontological philosophy. In his view, the criterion for universality is the intellectual existence, and the criterion for particularity is the particular, physical, and ideal existence. The known has to be abstracted from the particular, physical, and ideal existence in order to reach the level of universality. This abstraction is a truth different from the superficial abstract of other philosophers and can be called “promotional abstraction”. Mulla Sadra believes that the famous problem of the “gathering of universality and particularity” cannot be resolved based on the principles of other philosophers, whereas it is possible to do so on the basis of his philosophy. Moreover, he maintains that commonality means the ontological relation of an intellectual existent to individuals and not the potential presence of quiddity in them. Manuscript profile

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8 - Spirit of the Theory of Reminiscence in Mulla Sadra’s View of Intellection
Ali Asghar J‘afari Valani

In his explanation of perception, especially intellectual perception, based on his own philosophical principles, such as the principality and gradation of existence, commensurability of existence with knowledge and the trans-substantial motion, Mulla Sadra follows an ap More

In his explanation of perception, especially intellectual perception, based on his own philosophical principles, such as the principality and gradation of existence, commensurability of existence with knowledge and the trans-substantial motion, Mulla Sadra follows an approach different from that of his predecessors. On the other hand, he considers Plato’s theory of the pre-eternity of the soul in line with his own view of the corporeal origination of the soul based on its creation in the world of separate beings. The reason is that this creation in the world of separate beings and immaterial intellects is not in a particular and imperfect form. Rather, in the arc of descent, the soul enjoys corporeal origination along with the body’s trans-substantial motion and returns to the world of intellects in the arc of ascent. This ontological process is the same as an epistemological one. Accordingly, the soul observes the world of intellect through intellectual perception; the same world in which it enjoyed a rational existence at the beginning of the arc of descent. Given the intertwinement of ontology and epistemology in Mulla Sadra’s philosophy, as the development of the human soul in the worlds of existence is followed by its ontological development, moving from each world to the next one is followed by the perfection of perception, from the sense and imaginal perception to the intellectual one. Regarding intellectual perceptions, unlike sense and imaginal perceptions, Mulla Sadra believes in the flow of intellectual concepts from immaterial intellects into the soul and the soul’s contemplating them from a distance. Therefore, although Mulla Sadra does not agree with Plato’s theory of reminiscence, his particular view of intellectual perception can be a kind of reminiscence and recollection. However, given the differences between the philosophical principles of Plato and Mulla Sadra, we cannot consider them to be completely compatible with each other. Manuscript profile

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9 - A Comparative Critical Study of the Origination of the Soul in Mulla Sadra and Ibn Sina
Davood Mohamadiany

In the field of psychology in Islamic philosophy, there are two theories on the origination of the soul. Ibn Sina posed the theory of the spiritual origination of the soul and Mulla Sadra propounded the theory of the corporeal origination of the soul. However, contrary More

In the field of psychology in Islamic philosophy, there are two theories on the origination of the soul. Ibn Sina posed the theory of the spiritual origination of the soul and Mulla Sadra propounded the theory of the corporeal origination of the soul. However, contrary to Mulla Sadra’s idea, by the immateriality of the soul at the time of origination, Ibn Sina never meant complete immateriality at the level of practical intellect. Accordingly, it appears that Mulla Sadra’s objections to Ibn Sina are not justified and can be responded to. Likewise, by the corporeality of the soul at the time of origination, Mulla Sadra does not mean that the soul is a body or a type of corporeal thing. Rather, he means that, at the moment of origination, the soul is at the level of potential intellect, at the highest level of corporeality, and at the lowest level of immateriality. There are also some other pieces of evidence that bring the ideas of these two philosophers closer to each other. This paper intends to compare their views regarding the origination of the soul. Manuscript profile

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10 - A Study of the Relationship between the World of Pre-Existence and Platonic Ideas in Mulla Sadra
Ali Muhammed Sajedi

According to al-I‘raf Chapter: 172 of the Qur’an, known as verse of Mithaq (pledge), before his presence in this world, man had witnessed in an immaterial, simple, and all-intuitive realm some pure truths, following which he acknowledged the divinity of his God. However More

According to al-I‘raf Chapter: 172 of the Qur’an, known as verse of Mithaq (pledge), before his presence in this world, man had witnessed in an immaterial, simple, and all-intuitive realm some pure truths, following which he acknowledged the divinity of his God. However, after his fall in the human world and attachment to the body and cover of nature, he buried those pure jewels in worldly oblivion. This point is manifested in the works of Plato, the Greek divine philosopher, in his theory of the “Ideas” and the “theory of reminiscence”. The question rising here is: Can we find a relationship between the world of pledge (world of pre-existence) and Platonic Ideas, which have played an important role in explaining the differentiated knowledge of Almighty Truth of other than Him? The present research investigates the view of Mulla Sadra, the founder of the Transcendent Philosophy, in this regard following a descriptive-analytic method and intends to provide his response to the above question. In his view, the quality of man’s presence in that world was like the presence of his soul (spirit) in the world of intellects or the world of divine knowledge before its attachment to the body. At this level of being, he enjoys intellectual unity and all particular plural souls in an epitomized and simple form. Therefore, in Mulla Sadra’s view, the world of pre-existence is the divine area (world of divine knowledge). Based on this idea, he justifies the theory of reminiscence and equates the world of pledge with Platonic Ideas. It is necessary to note that Mulla Sadra initially explains the theory of Platonic Ideas based on his own philosophical principles (particularly the principles of the principiality, unity, and gradedness of being) and then, as discussed in this paper, confirms it as an indication of the world of pre-existence. Manuscript profile

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11 - Ontological Principles of Mulla Sadra’s Anthropology
Ali Arshad Riahi Hadi J‘afari

This paper is intended to investigate the effects of Mulla Sadra’s most important philosophical principles on his anthropological discussions. In line with this purpose, the writers have presented six philosophical principles which Mulla Sadra has employed in explaining More

This paper is intended to investigate the effects of Mulla Sadra’s most important philosophical principles on his anthropological discussions. In line with this purpose, the writers have presented six philosophical principles which Mulla Sadra has employed in explaining ontological issues, and almost 20 of such issues have been discussed based on these six principles. The writers have initially explained each of these principles in short and referred to the important points in relation to each of them. Then they have examined their places and applications in anthropological discussions from Mulla Sadra’s point of view. As a result, they have argued that he has philosophically analyzed and explained many anthropological problems based on his own ontological principles and succeeded in establishing a profound relationship between his own particular principles in philosophical ontology and anthropological discussions (so far as they can claim that the basic principles of Mulla Sadra’s anthropology are based on the principiality of existence). Moreover, the writers hold that, based on this particular relationship, he has managed to remove many of the intricacies and difficulties of anthropological problems which some philosophers have failed to solve or presented certain contradictory ideas about. They emphasize that he has even revealed some novel and innovative dimensions of anthropological discussions. Besides, by clarifying the relationship between Mulla Sadra’s anthropological discussions and ontology, the writers have also explained his claim as to man’s being the essence of existence (based on ontological principles) in this paper. Manuscript profile

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12 - Sources of Knowledge in Mulla Sadra
Mahdi Zakeri Hossein Emadzadeh

In the Transcendent Philosophy, valid knowledge sources include: external senses, internal senses, intellect, intuition, testimony, and tradition. In Mulla Sadra’s view, the first source of knowledge acquisition is external senses, and common sense is the most important More

In the Transcendent Philosophy, valid knowledge sources include: external senses, internal senses, intellect, intuition, testimony, and tradition. In Mulla Sadra’s view, the first source of knowledge acquisition is external senses, and common sense is the most important internal sense of human beings. The intellect which distinguishes Man from other beings has a limit which restricts the magnitude of knowledge acquisition. Mulla Sadra divides the intellect into theoretical and practical types and, while considering both of them as knowledge sources, he sees their difference in their objects. It is only intuition which can access anything that is recognizable. Testimony, if widely transmitted and related to sensible affairs, is valid as a dependent knowledge source, and a transmitted reason, particularly in religious discussions, is an independent and infallible source. Manuscript profile

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13 - A Study of Qunawi’s Philosophical Gnosis
Gholamreza Hosseinpour

Sadr al-Din Qunawi’s Miftah al-ghayb, as the first book on theoretical gnosis, provided the basis for theoretical or philosophical gnosis. This is because Ibn Arabi, who is known as the father of Islamic theoretical gnosis, did not have enough time for doing so, thus it More

Sadr al-Din Qunawi’s Miftah al-ghayb, as the first book on theoretical gnosis, provided the basis for theoretical or philosophical gnosis. This is because Ibn Arabi, who is known as the father of Islamic theoretical gnosis, did not have enough time for doing so, thus it was Qunawi who accomplished this task. Alongside the Peripatetic and Illuminationist schools of philosophy, Qunawi founded a school that can be called philosophical gnosis. In spite of his pessimistic view of theoretical intellect, Qunawi acknowledged that unveiling and gnostic taste agree with the theoretical intellect at all stages because they find no contradiction in the proofs of this kind of intellect. Nevertheless, he believes that the perception of such proofs is beyond the capabilities of human imagination. Qunawi tried to reconcile gnostics’ principles of unveiling and philosophical theories. In developing many of his views, he benefitted from Ibn Sina’s al-Isharat and, particularly, Khwajah Nasir al-Din Tusi’s commentary on this book. As a result, one can equate the philosophical language used by Qunawi with that used in the Peripatetic philosophy, particularly with the language employed in Ibn Sina’s al-Isharat, which plays a significant role in granting a philosophical nature to Qunawi’s gnosis. Manuscript profile

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14 - Impact of Qur’anic Teachings on Suhrawardi’s Illuminationist Philosophy
Qasim Pourhassan Seyyed Mostafa Babaei

Obviously, all Islamic philosophers, affiliated with any of the three well-known philosophical schools, have been greatly influenced by Qur’anic teachings in the development of their philosophical thoughts. However, among them, Suhrawardi was the first Islamic philosoph More

Obviously, all Islamic philosophers, affiliated with any of the three well-known philosophical schools, have been greatly influenced by Qur’anic teachings in the development of their philosophical thoughts. However, among them, Suhrawardi was the first Islamic philosopher who benefitted extensively from the Holy Qur’an in the development of his Illuminationist philosophy. His use of this heavenly Book is different from that of others both quantitatively and qualitatively (in terms of interpretation). He based many of his ideas, arguments, and judgments on the teachings of the Qur’an. Here, the authors have tried to briefly explain the impact of Qur’anic teachings on Suhrawardi’s Illuminationist philosophy with regard to the four categories of luminous wisdom, light of all lights, intellects, and the soul. This is because a detailed discussion of this topic demands sufficient time and extensive knowledge. Manuscript profile

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15 - An Epistemological-Ontological Approach to the Voluntary Growth and Training of “Personality” Based on Mulla Sadra’s Philosophy
Tooba La’l Sahebi Mohammad Kazem Elmi Soola

“I” or “self” is intertwined with self-consciousness in Sadrian philosophy. The emergence of “I” begins with developing an awareness of the self and then develops, grows, and attains different levels based on the same awareness. In this paper, the writers aim to explore More

“I” or “self” is intertwined with self-consciousness in Sadrian philosophy. The emergence of “I” begins with developing an awareness of the self and then develops, grows, and attains different levels based on the same awareness. In this paper, the writers aim to explore the growth of “I” or “personality” based on Mulla Sadra’s philosophical principles. In its technical sense, “personality”, which is created in the light of training and other influential factors, is formed in the domain of the transcendent and grown “I”. This is because “I”, from the very beginning, is an individual and a particular ontological identity. However, personality, which mainly represents an individual’s voluntary attributes and features, appears at specific stages of a person’s process of development and correct intellectual education. Following a specific analytic method, the present paper examines the process of appropriate growth, which mainly takes place after puberty. Manuscript profile

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16 - “Oughts” and “Ought-nots” of Islamic Philosophy in the View of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Mohammad Rahmani Gooraji Fatemeh Masjedi

This study was conducted to explore the thoughts of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding Islamic philosophy and the required concomitants for its expansion and development based on his speeches. The researchers’ main purpose here was to develop a More

This study was conducted to explore the thoughts of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding Islamic philosophy and the required concomitants for its expansion and development based on his speeches. The researchers’ main purpose here was to develop and present a desirable model for the development of Islamic philosophy based on the grounded theory. In doing so, they studied the speeches, sermons, messages, decrees, orders and interviews of Imam Khamenei between 1981-2008 and, through employing three open, axial, and selective types of coding in the grounded theory methodology, they found 111 codes/concepts, 24 categories, and four dimensions. In the conclusion section, while presenting a paradigmatic model dominating the categories, they provide some responses to the research questions based on the research findings. Manuscript profile

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17 - A Study of the Views of Two Commentators (Meybodi and Mulla Sadra) of Hidayah al-Hikmah Concerning the First Emanated
Maqsud Mohammadi Mehdi Najafiafra

Both Qadi Kamal al-Din Meybodi and Mulla Sadra have written comments on the chapters of Tabi‘iyyat and Ilahiyyat of Abhari’s Hidayah al-hikmah and have often provided their own critical views of the existing ideas regarding the discussed problems, one of which is the pr More

Both Qadi Kamal al-Din Meybodi and Mulla Sadra have written comments on the chapters of Tabi‘iyyat and Ilahiyyat of Abhari’s Hidayah al-hikmah and have often provided their own critical views of the existing ideas regarding the discussed problems, one of which is the problem of the first emanated. Meybodi has objected to considering the “intellect” as the first emanated relying on “the mentally-posited (negations and additions) modes as the origins of the emanation of multiple things from Almighty Necessary” and the “emanation of acts from the soul without the mediation of the body”. He believes that the soul can be directly emanated from the first origin. When rejecting Meybodi’s reasoning, Mulla Sadra states, “Initially, the realization of negations, similar to additions, regarding the truth of negative propositions is posterior to the realization of Almighty Necessary”, and “Secondly, the soul, as such, is accompanied by weakness and strength and needs the body in activity and disposition.” This view of Mulla Sadra about the soul’s not being qualified for being the first emanated is more consistent with the approach and principles of the Transcendent Philosophy as to the soul’s being “corporeally originated and spiritually subsistent” than with the approach and principles of the Peripatetic philosophy as to the soul’s being “spiritually originated and spiritually subsistent.” Manuscript profile

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18 - Different Types of Intellect in Mulla Hadi Sabziwari’s View
Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Nik Seyyed Hashem Golestani Fathali Akbari

There are several different interpretations of the intellect, and a number of different duties, types, and levels have been attributed to it in conformity with each interpretation. Among them, reference can be made to fitri intellect, theoretical intellect, practical in More

There are several different interpretations of the intellect, and a number of different duties, types, and levels have been attributed to it in conformity with each interpretation. Among them, reference can be made to fitri intellect, theoretical intellect, practical intellect, universal intellect, active intellect, basis for obligation, etc. In the same vein, gnostics and sufis have even referred to obligation and escape from the intellect. In this paper, following an analytic-descriptive method and based on a new ontological and epistemological division, the writers have tried to examine the different types of the intellect from the viewpoint of Mulla Hadi Sabziwari. In the ontology of the intellect, this concept is considered as a level of existence or an existent which is discussed in the framework of universal intellects, particular intellects, and the ten-fold intellects. Moreover, the relationships and differences between them are explained therein. From an epistemological approach, the intellect is viewed as Man’s faculty of perception. The writers also explore the natural intellect, empirical intellect, theoretical intellect, and practical intellect and their levels, the simple intellect, and the differentiated intellect alongside the epistemology of the intellect. The findings of this study indicate that, when explaining the different types of the intellect, we sometimes deal with the human intellect (levels of the rational souls, particular intellect, or livelihood intellect) and sometimes with non-human intellects (universal separate intellects) and, since the ascended and descended intellects are two levels of the same species, they connect with each other in the arches of ascent and descent. The findings also reveal that the intellect which gnostics usually reproach is the imperfect particular intellect, which is under the influence of fanciful thoughts, and it is the habitual and natural intellect which is the criterion for obligation. Manuscript profile

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19 - Ontological Place of the Guardian and Imam in the Transcendent Philosophy of Hakim Zunuzi
Abdolreza Safari

Through a study of the concept of the Guardian and Imam in the view of Hakim Zunuzi, the present paper is intended to demonstrate that it is possible to prove the necessity mode of the existence of the intellect based on some of the principles of the theoretical school More

Through a study of the concept of the Guardian and Imam in the view of Hakim Zunuzi, the present paper is intended to demonstrate that it is possible to prove the necessity mode of the existence of the intellect based on some of the principles of the theoretical school of Transcendent Philosophy, including the principles of the One, inferior possibility and, particularly, nobler possibility. Since the “guardian” enjoys the highest level of actual intellect and the faculty of stimulation, he can be matched with the level of the First Intellect as the second truth and the most perfect and closest of the substances of the realm of dominion to Almighty Truth. This level is, thus, true for the “guardian”. Moreover, unlike separate intellects, the kind of intellect which is known as “correspondent intellect” and “archetype” in the transcendent Illuminationist philosophy and as a supreme example of mustakfi existent attends to the training and administration of its inferiors because it enjoys an aspect of the divinity of Almighty Truth. An example of this kind of intellect can be observed in the human administrative lights and supreme souls, such as favorites of God and theologian philosophers. Through a study of the features and examples of this kind of intellect, the author concludes that, based on the philosophical analysis of some traditions, one can prepare the context for the matching of such features to favorites of God and, in Zunuzi’s words, introduce the white pillar of the divine Celestial Throne and universal intellect as the representative of this level. Finally, given the belief that the intellect is the noblest and the most favorite of all divine substances and the closest of them to God, it can be considered to be the spirit. Therefore, the guardian is the spirit and the rational soul who is open to the orders, rewards, and punishments of Almighty Truth. Manuscript profile

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20 - Transcendent Philosophy in Mulla Sadra
Mohammad Sadeq Alipoor

Perhaps few philosophical schools have been judged so differently or opposed as much as the Transcendent Philosophy in the course of history. The vast domain and influence of this school, as well as its strength and all-inclusiveness, have persuaded several thinkers wit More

Perhaps few philosophical schools have been judged so differently or opposed as much as the Transcendent Philosophy in the course of history. The vast domain and influence of this school, as well as its strength and all-inclusiveness, have persuaded several thinkers with different philosophical, gnostic, kalami, and even Qur’anic tendencies to take it into consideration, to describe it from their own point of view, and, consciously or unconsciously, interpret it to their own advantage. Such differences have resulted in the creation of some ambiguity with regard to the truth and nature of the Transcendent Philosophy. For example, the meaning and truth of the word “philosophy” (in Mulla Sadra’s view), which has been given the adjective of “transcendent” is one of such ambiguous cases. In the present paper, in order to clarify this ambiguity, the author has tried to describe Mulla Sadra’s philosophy by referring to his own words. In doing so, after determining the nature of wisdom and philosophy and conducting a comparative study of the common meaning of philosophy and the Transcendent Philosophy and specifying their similarities and differences, it is demonstrated that his philosophy is a particular philosophy with a prophetic and religious origin. It is indeed a divine blessing which is only bestowed upon His special servants; a kind of philosophy which safely brings gnosis and reasoning to the shore of harmony and cooperation in the light of the Qur’an. Manuscript profile

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21 - Editor's Note
Seyyed Mohammad Khamenei

Political Intellect Islamic Revolution Political Insight

Political Intellect Islamic Revolution Political Insight Manuscript profile

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22 - Problem of Gender in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Epistemological Approach
Mahnaz Mozafari far Alireza Hassanpour Maijd Ziaei Ghahnavieh

The problem of gender has not been explicitly discussed in Islamic philosophy, in general, and in Transcendent Philosophy, in particular. However, through examining the principles of Islamic Philosophy and the work of philosophers, one can learn about their views and di More

The problem of gender has not been explicitly discussed in Islamic philosophy, in general, and in Transcendent Philosophy, in particular. However, through examining the principles of Islamic Philosophy and the work of philosophers, one can learn about their views and different interpretations of this problem. This paper is intended to reveal the relationship between the intellect and gender based on Sadrian philosophy and explain whether men and women share the same or different levels of intellectual perception. According to Mullā Ṣadrā, the most fundamental characteristic of human beings is rationality, particularly theoretical intellect, and men and women are the same in terms of their faculty of intellection. In other words, there is essentially and naturally no difference between them regarding their intellect. Mullā Ṣadrā stipulates that reaching the level of intellection – putting the intellect into practice – is an acquisitional affair, and the difference observed between men and women and even among men or women themselves in the process of knowledge acquisition is accidental and the outcome of contextual factors. Mullā Ṣadrā has demonstrated this problem in the classification of the intellect and the stages of intellection – from intellectus materialis (material intelligence) to intellectus acquisitus (acquired reason). Manuscript profile

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23 - Sense Perception in Aristotle and Mullā Ṣadrā
Muhammad Husein Mokhtari

The Problem of perception has always been an important philosophical issue since ancient times. Ancient Greek philosophers, particularly Plato and Aristotle, extensively discussed the tools and conditions of perception. Aristotle, for example, explained the external and More

The Problem of perception has always been an important philosophical issue since ancient times. Ancient Greek philosophers, particularly Plato and Aristotle, extensively discussed the tools and conditions of perception. Aristotle, for example, explained the external and internal perception of the soul in his two treatises of On the Soul and On Sense and Sensibilia. Among the perceptive faculties of human beings and animals, sense perception holds a particular station. This is because one’s first encounter with the external world happens through this faculty. In order to clarify sense perception, he refers to and discusses the external faculties of the soul (touch, sight, taste, hearing, and smell) and the informative data they provide. He believes that sense perception must be intertwined with the intellect in order to result in knowledge. Muslim philosophers have also discussed sense perception and most of their views are similar to those of Aristotle. Through propounding the soul’s creation of forms, Mullā Ṣadrā distanced himself from Aristotle and managed to introduce a new theory in philosophical psychology. In this paper, the author examines and compares Aristotle’s and Mullā Ṣadrā’s approaches to the problem of sense perception. In doing so, he firstly defines the soul and its faculties and, then, investigates external faculties in the views of both philosophers. Finally, he deals with the important discussion of the epistemological aspect of sense perception. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

24 - Value and Efficiency of Acquired and Non-Acquired Sciences in Ibn ‘Arabī
Forough al-Sadat Rahimpour Nayereh Esmaeli

One of the most important and fundamental problems in theoretical gnosis is science. Ibn Arabi divides sciences into acquired and non-acquired types based on the way they are gained. Acquired types of science consist of the same discursive sciences which people attain t More

One of the most important and fundamental problems in theoretical gnosis is science. Ibn Arabi divides sciences into acquired and non-acquired types based on the way they are gained. Acquired types of science consist of the same discursive sciences which people attain through rational reasoning. In contrast, the perception and attainment of non-acquired sciences are not only impossible for the intellect but also demand another tool called the heart, which is responsible for receiving the blessings and effusions of divine lights. Ibn ‘Arabī believes that true and original knowledge is one which God imparts to the heart. Such a kind of knowledge, unlike rational and acquired ones, is immune against error, doubt, and forgetting. This is because here Man is merely the receiver of God’s manifestations and cannot manipulate them at all. This paper explains the efficiency of acquired and non-acquired sciences from the view point of Ibn ‘Arabī, evaluates them, and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each in comparison to each other. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

25 - An Evaluation of the Common Interpretations of Fact Itself and its Whatness Based on Mullā Ṣadrā’s Final View
Seyedeh Zahra Mousavi Baygi Seyd Mohammad Musavi

20.1001.1.15600874.1400.27.1.2.8

One of the discussions that has attracted great attention in scientific-philosophical societies is epistemology and its related problems such as the problem of the “criterion for the truth of propositions”. Muslim thinkers believe that the criterion corresponds with naf More

One of the discussions that has attracted great attention in scientific-philosophical societies is epistemology and its related problems such as the problem of the “criterion for the truth of propositions”. Muslim thinkers believe that the criterion corresponds with nafs al-amr (fact itself); however, they have provided different views and interpretations of this concept. The required data for the study were collected through the library method. After describing and analyzing them, while evaluating three famous views regarding the truth of fact itself, reporting the related criticisms, and emphasizing the incomprehensiveness of these views, the researchers try to demonstrate that fact itself means “God’s essential differentiated knowledge”. Their standpoint is in conformity with gnostic and Sadrian philosophical principles. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

26 - The Use of Intellect and Reasoning in Demonstrating Divine Attributes in Mullā Ṣadrā’s View
Mozhgan Fatahi Ali Arshad Riahi

20.1001.1.15600874.1400.27.2.3.1

Mullā Ṣadrā states in his works that the employment of the intellect and intellectual reasoning is efficient in the independent demonstration and understanding of divine attributes. By explaining Mullā Ṣadrā’s method of using the intellect, it becomes clear that he has More

Mullā Ṣadrā states in his works that the employment of the intellect and intellectual reasoning is efficient in the independent demonstration and understanding of divine attributes. By explaining Mullā Ṣadrā’s method of using the intellect, it becomes clear that he has formulated his discussion based on proof and has presented some extensive and cohesive discussions about divine attributes so that the most important of which have been clearly explained and demonstrated. Based on the present study, the most important philosophical arguments and principles which Mullā Ṣadrā has explained and demonstrated in this field include ontological proof, principle of “Truth in its simplicity contains everything”, principle of “The giver of something cannot lack it”, and principle of “The Necessary Being is necessary by essence from all aspects, and providence. Mullā Ṣadrā’s extensive discussions on divine attributes, which are based on rational arguments, indicate his belief in the truth of the intellect’s independent function in this field, on the one hand, and confirm its capability in the field of epistemology of divine attributes in an independent form, on the other hand. The result of this study is the development of an approach based on distinguishing the two independent and instrumental functions of the intellect, which has not been considered in other studies previously. Not distinguishing between these two functions has resulted in attributing an irrational and unverifiable or even eclectic nature to the methodology of the Transcendent Philosophy. As a case study on divine attributes, the present study explains the rational, verifiable, and philosophical dimensions to the Sadrian Transcendent Philosophy. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

27 - Listener (Locus of Manifestation) and Source (Emanator) Intellects in Jawadi Amuli (with an Emphasis on Misbah Yazdi’s Views)
Rohollah Adineh Roghayeh Mosavi

20.1001.1.15600874.1400.27.1.4.0

The discussion of intellectual perception and the quality of intellection holds an important place in epistemology. Islamic philosophers have followed various approaches to explaining the mechanism of intellection. Mullā Ṣadrā has also used different expressions for cla More

The discussion of intellectual perception and the quality of intellection holds an important place in epistemology. Islamic philosophers have followed various approaches to explaining the mechanism of intellection. Mullā Ṣadrā has also used different expressions for clarifying the process of general perception. He views the intellect sometimes as a locus of manifestation or epiphany (listener) and sometimes as an emanator (source) of intellectual forms. Accordingly, each of the researchers and commentators of Sadrian philosophy has tried to justify the differences between the words he has used in some way. As a neo-Sadrian philosopher, Jawadi Amuli posits some discussions in his works that can introduce a new view of the process of rational perception. Following a descriptive-analytic method, the present study demonstrates that, Jawadi Amuli has directly referred to two types of rational perception and the necessity to separate them from each other. In one of them, the intellect is a listener, and the general perception is the result of conscious rational intuition and passivity of the soul. Here, perception is limited to a special group. In the other one, the intellect functions as a source, and the general perception is the outcome of mental and soulish activities. All people are capable of this kind of intellectual perception. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

28 - Goodness of Justice: An Intellectual or Rational Theorem?
Mohammad Imami حسین فرزانه

20.1001.1.15600874.1401.28.1.2.5

“Justice is good” and “cruelty is bad” are two of the most frequently used principles and propositions in various disciplines. Mutikallimun consider these two propositions to be rational, primary necessary, evident, certain, and needless of reasoning. However, some phil More

“Justice is good” and “cruelty is bad” are two of the most frequently used principles and propositions in various disciplines. Mutikallimun consider these two propositions to be rational, primary necessary, evident, certain, and needless of reasoning. However, some philosophers deny their evidence and certainty and consider them as generally accepted propositions that bear no truth except for conforming to thinkers’ views. Certainty in relation to these two propositions means believing in the correctness of their use in arguments and production of scientific results, and indemonstrability refers to their dialectical application. Some believe that the indemonstrability in the interpretation of such propositions would undermine the basis of moral propositions. The question here is why there is so much controversy about these two apparently evident propositions. The findings of this descriptive-analytic study reveal that the solution must be found in distinguishing between “intellectual goodness” and “rational goodness”. When these two propositions are considered as individual intellectual propositions, they are hypothetical and genetic judgments; however, at a rational social level, they are evident and, of course, mentally posited and, unlike the general view of logicians, they must be viewed as certain propositions (not as generally accepted ones). In addition, some statements such as “They have no basis but popularity”, which are used by some philosophers and logicians about the two propositions, are not used to deny their reality. Rather, they are intended to deny the evidence and necessity of these two propositions in intellectual analyses. Thus, no damage is done to their support for moral propositions. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

29 - Explaining Horizontal Pluralities in the Vertical Worlds of Existence Based on Sadrian Philosophy
Ali Sedaghat Hasan Fathzadeh

20.1001.1.15600874.1402.28.4.7.0

Based on the principle of the gradation of existence in Sadrian philosophy, the world of being enjoys a vertical system that extends from the highest point to the lowest levels, and each existent possesses a specific degree of existential intensity and weakness. The acc More

Based on the principle of the gradation of existence in Sadrian philosophy, the world of being enjoys a vertical system that extends from the highest point to the lowest levels, and each existent possesses a specific degree of existential intensity and weakness. The acceptance of this principle in Sadrian philosophy alongside one’s observations in our surrounding world of horizontal existents with no cause-effect relation, such as a stone and a tree, gave rise to an important question in the post-Sadrian period: How can these two truths come together in one place? The responses to these questions during the last 400 years have resulted in some disagreements among commentators of Mullā Ṣadrā’s works. In this study, the authors aim to demonstrate that the acceptance of the vertical and graded system of existence is not in conflict with accepting horizontal pluralities, and what is accepted in Sadrian graded existence is a differential system among all existence and not merely a cause-effect system. The key to the understanding of horizontal pluralities in Sadrian philosophy must be found in the discussion of archetypes and their additions. In presenting his own system of emanations, Mullā Ṣadrā has been greatly influenced by Suhrawardī’s philosophy and defended the quality of the emanation of archetypes at different occasions. Archetypes are the same horizontal intellects the acceptance of which is equal to resolving the problem of horizontal pluralities in all vertical worlds of existence. Manuscript profile

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