Ardalan Zamani; Mohammad MohammadRezaei
Volume 11, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 83-102
Abstract
The oneness of being is the most central idea of Ibn Arabi, and as interpreted by his commentators and followers, the oneness of being does not mean that the Real or true existence is united with others or is a single whole. The oneness of being means that only one entity has true existence and nothing ...
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The oneness of being is the most central idea of Ibn Arabi, and as interpreted by his commentators and followers, the oneness of being does not mean that the Real or true existence is united with others or is a single whole. The oneness of being means that only one entity has true existence and nothing else; therefore, the oneness of being gives the meaning of oneness and uniqueness; for this, many consider it the best interpretation of Towhid or pure monotheism. After this, the question that comes to mind first and foremost is what are others? What are these things that we name the world? The purpose of this research is to examine this question. What position should be taken in the existential structure of Ibn Arabi about the existence of the world?
This research discusses the oneness of being by focusing on the existence and imaginary world. In the discussion of existence, we refer to common views about the oneness of being. Ibn Arabi has contradictory interpretations about the existence of the world. He has said both that they exist and do not exist. According to this research, this is a contradictory proposition; because there is no intermediary between existence and non-existence. In the following, we refer to the imaginary world and two different interpretations of it, imagination means one presence of five divine presences, and imagination means everything other than real existence, which according to Ibn Arabi is an imaginary existence. Therefore, what we are looking for to investigate its existence or non-existence is sometimes called imagination in Ibn Arabi's mysticism and the term Alam has also been coined for it. For this, in order to make the matter more clear, more focus has been placed on what is imaginary existence.
In looking for an appropriate answer to the main question of research it is argued that 1. It cannot be said that the world is pure illusion and does not exist. 2. It is not possible to both accept and reject the existence of the world. 3. It is not possible to solve the problem by rejecting the law of non-contradiction. 4. In Ibn Arabi's mysticism, the Gradation of Being is not accepted. 5. Therefore, the world exists and enjoys true existence. A great amount of this research is focused on explaining the existence of the world if we have no other way than accepting the existence of the world. Seeing things as imaginary existence and acceptance of otherness, from the point of view of this research, is caused by the subject's epistemological field. In fact, if we are talking about the epistemological subject, then the state of existence of the world will correspond to the epistemic state of the subject. With this expression, the perception of something other than the Real is an inability to perceive pure existence. Therefore, the term Alam in Ibn Arabi's mysticism, which means other than the Real, is a term that was established for our imaginary perception of existence. But the world itself, in the sense of what it is, has true existence.
So, it is not correct to say that Ibn Arabi emphasizes otherness as much as he emphasizes oneness. Also, it is not correct to accept that the world both exists and does not exist in a contradictory way. We must distinguish between external reality and knowledge of it. One of the roots of the aforementioned contradiction is ignorance of the difference between the world meaning what is other than Real and the world meaning what is. Therefore, the structure of mystical existence, i.e. various presences and worlds, is nothing but the epistemological structure of man and the layers of knowledge that are revealed to him. It cannot be overlooked that when we use the expression of things as they are and argue that they enjoy true existence, this is an expression due to our inability, which indicates otherness. The only truth is that there is one and there is nothing but him.
Moha] Mohammad Rezaee; Seyyedeh Zeinab Mehrianpoor
Volume 9, Issue 1 , August 2020, , Pages 95-120
Abstract
Every single soul that has a little knowledge of himself and those around him, does have this question that, is death end of existence and all our instincts and aspiration? And if not, how would be our life or lives after death? This question is as old as human being. Belief in eternity of life plays ...
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Every single soul that has a little knowledge of himself and those around him, does have this question that, is death end of existence and all our instincts and aspiration? And if not, how would be our life or lives after death? This question is as old as human being. Belief in eternity of life plays an important role in interpretation of human life and its meaning and meaninglessness. But some philosophers have problem with the meaning of human eternity. The present paper uses descriptive and analytical method to critique the relationship between eternity and meaning of life in view of Bernard Williams. Bernard Williams argues based on moral philosophy and pragmatic approach that, since an eternal life is undesirable, desire of eternal life is unreasonable. Therefore, Williams not only believes that eternity is not necessary for the meaning of life, but also it is hazard; because, actually, death is what can make the life meaningful. Different critiques of this view deny the incompatibility of eternity and the meaning of life; and illustrate that Bernard William’s argument against any kinds of eternity was not correct and cogent.
bashar mamedov; Mohammad Mohammad Rezaei
Volume 9, Issue 2 , January 2020, , Pages 245-268
Abstract
The problem of evil and the problem of miracles are among the most important issues in the philosophy of religion. J.L Mackey, William L. Rowe and other philosophers raise the problem of the logic of evil and the problem of evidence of evil, while James A.Keller proposes the problem of miracles as the ...
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The problem of evil and the problem of miracles are among the most important issues in the philosophy of religion. J.L Mackey, William L. Rowe and other philosophers raise the problem of the logic of evil and the problem of evidence of evil, while James A.Keller proposes the problem of miracles as the third problem of evil. James Keller divides miracles into epistemological and practical miracles, and believes that the possibility of miracles occurring in both senses actually reinforces the problem of evil and making it a dilemma for attributes such as omnipotence, omniscience, and pure benevolence of God. James A. Keller citing the paradigm of the experimental sciences and uses the modern understanding of miracles as a temporary suspension of one or more laws of nature performed by divine power, and sees the benefit of only a particular group of miracles as contradicting God's justice. According to Muslim scholars and theologians, first of all, contrary to the view of Western thinkers, the miracle of breaking the habit is contrary only to the laws of the experimental sciences and to the ordinary and everyday experience of man, and not outside the law and rational-philosophical rules. Secondly, the miracle is the general authority of God, and it is useful not only for the sages, but also for all, and its authority is undeniable.
