Mohsen Marvinam
Volume 9, Issue 1 , August 2020, , Pages 1-24
Abstract
Among the issues that have an effective role in the dialogue between Islam and Christianity and how the followers of these two religions can have, is to explain the place of the fate of the followers of the two religions, In this article, an analytical, comparative method seeks to explain the foundations ...
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Among the issues that have an effective role in the dialogue between Islam and Christianity and how the followers of these two religions can have, is to explain the place of the fate of the followers of the two religions, In this article, an analytical, comparative method seeks to explain the foundations and The common religious beliefs of Islam and Christianity, which according to the religious texts and the specific causes and circumstances of the followers of both can be saved.Motahhari's professor believes non-Muslims who have not gained to the right religion of time (Islam), if this lack of knowledge and achievement is not due to their fault and shortcomings, or their prejudices, and are arbitrarily opposed to the right to surrender, according to Godliness And the truthfulness of their intentions and their moral and moral deeds can be called salvation, from which they have been interpreted as "innate Muslims." And in the Christian religion, Karl Rahner, of the contemporary Catholic Christian theologians, by proposing the theory of the "inclusiveness of salvation," and refreshing and redefining the concept of "eternal grace" within human beings, the non-Christians who respond to this divine grace and their inner voice and conscience Given and believing in God and doing good moral deeds, they are called "unknown Christians" and can be saved.
Fateme Saeedi; Abdolrasoul Kashfi; Amirabbas Alizamani
Volume 8, Issue 1 , May 2019, , Pages 1-23
Abstract
Skeptical theism is one of the theistic responses to the evidential problem of evil. This approach which is included of different ideas, with emphasizing on human cognitive limitations and complicated axiological reality, casts doubt on the claim of gratuitous evil. This article is based on Bergmann’s ...
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Skeptical theism is one of the theistic responses to the evidential problem of evil. This approach which is included of different ideas, with emphasizing on human cognitive limitations and complicated axiological reality, casts doubt on the claim of gratuitous evil. This article is based on Bergmann’s idea, who is one of the prominent philosopher in this sphere. He challenges William Rowe’s inductive argument with his skeptical theses which are based on “representative” principle. Bergmann’s articles in this sphere are influential and highly controversial. One of the main objections to his idea is that his skeptical theses lead to moral impasse, both in theoretical (moral justification) and pragmatic aspect. This is against our approach in our everyday moral life. Since this position is not acceptable in everyday moral life, skeptical theism is not acceptable either. Although Bergmann accepts limitations in sphere of value, he doesn’t think it makes problem for skeptical theism. This article first introduce representative approach of Bergmann then considering objections and responses to them. At least it becomes clear that Bergmann’s solutions does not response objections rightly.
tayyebeh shaddel; Hossein Atrak
Volume 10, Issue 1 , December 2021, , Pages 1-25
Abstract
Absolute Creationism or Modified Platonism is the answer to the challenge that Platonism poses to theism. The main concern of this view is the reconcile between Classical theism and Platonism. Absolute creationism, in fact, claims that necessary truths, like possible beings, depend on God. Thus, in the ...
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Absolute Creationism or Modified Platonism is the answer to the challenge that Platonism poses to theism. The main concern of this view is the reconcile between Classical theism and Platonism. Absolute creationism, in fact, claims that necessary truths, like possible beings, depend on God. Thus, in the ontological inventory we do not faced a being who exists independently of God, and God is the only independent being. Thus the claim of contemporary Platonists, who argue that some abstract objects, such as necessary truths, necessarily exist, is eternal and uncreated, provided that these truths, while necessary and eternal, are created and dependent on God is accepted. William Craig, the contemporary American theist philosopher, believes that this view faces a number of problems, such as conflate of conceptualism, the Vicious Circularity (Bootstrapping objection), incoherence with free will of God, the traditional theory of creation and traded biblical doctrine of creation with emanationism. Although some of Craig's objections are not to the view of absolute Creationism; But absolute Creationism faces serious problems, and it seems that it is possible to defend the Cartesian view of Universal Possibilism. This paper explains and examines Absolute Creationism and Craig's criticisms
Gholam Hossein Khedri
Volume 10, Issue 2 , March 2022, , Pages 1-19
Abstract
The psychological illustration and analysis (search in hidden layers of unconscious psyche) of historical roots and nature of belief in God from the view point of Freud (1856-1939), the Austrian psychotherapist, is still among the dominant views in the realm of psychotherapy of God and is one of the ...
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The psychological illustration and analysis (search in hidden layers of unconscious psyche) of historical roots and nature of belief in God from the view point of Freud (1856-1939), the Austrian psychotherapist, is still among the dominant views in the realm of psychotherapy of God and is one of the common theories in “religion psychology’.He was never able to reconcile with the spiritual aspect of human being; on the other hand, through his sheer dependence on the psychotherapy (hypnotism, and soul purification) which dominated his lifelong scientific endeavor, led him to this idea that God in no more than a sheer hallucination on the line of achievement of man’s yearnings.In his belief, God was a reflection of utopian father who is omniscient and omnipotent that has been envisaged since infancy. His vast command of literature alongside his determined belief in his achievements led him to conclude that the unfulfilled Libido, fear and needs are the basis of art creation, literature, religion in general, and attraction towards God in particular which in reality is an ilk of projection of a real father as Odepeous Complex in boys due to the sexual affair with mothers and Electra Complex in girls as the unfulfilled sexual affair with fathers.Ultimately, the basis of human attraction towards religion and the religiosity of human beings originate in his beliefs are based on hallucination, and in his terms called it as Public obsessive-compulsive disorder; and finally human attraction towards God roots in Totems. Seemingly, the influential factors affecting his basic attitudes in decoding the mysteries of human attraction towards God include A: the dominance of philosophical school of thought in 19th century, namely extreme science influenced by positivism which could be detected in his work the Future of an illusion which dealt with formation of this viewpoint in positivism, extreme scientific and atheism B: Schopenhauer’s Pessimistic philosophy and the dominance of Sensations and emotions on human beings C: Leibnitz’s teaching in which the teachings are the center and basis of activity and energy D:This paper following critical-analytical approach and based on affairs like the absence of commonality and similarity between the witness or control groups who were afflicted with psychological problems with the giant group of God believers, limited observations and generalization of the results to other people, lack of clear answer ability to the raised critics, adherence to the presuppositions on the way of natural sciences that have lost their scientific validity, materialistic ideology of the existence instead of philosophical rationalism, irrational rejection, without objective evidence, of the existence of God, gave rise to the creation of this paper to approve the incomprehensibility and certainty of the deficiency of his psychoanalytical theory on the line of designing decryption the cause and nature of human attraction towards religion and God in long life existence on the globe
Hamidreza Ayatollahy
Volume 11, Issue 1 , June 2022, , Pages 1-33
Abstract
The answer to the question of the meaning of life has been the concern of many philosophers and thinkers. Some like Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Sartre have not given any meaning to life. But many others have tried to give different answers to this question and show with arguments that their point of ...
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The answer to the question of the meaning of life has been the concern of many philosophers and thinkers. Some like Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Sartre have not given any meaning to life. But many others have tried to give different answers to this question and show with arguments that their point of view can better explain the meaning of life. This paper intends to first show the main viewpoints proposed in this field (such as God-centeredness, soul-centeredness, naturalism, subjectivism, and objectivism) along with their arguments and criticisms from competing viewpoints. Then, by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of these views, it should be shown what characteristics a comprehensive theory for the meaning of life should have. Finally, the comprehensive and new viewpoint of the author will be presented and the reasons for preferring this perspective over competing views will be shown.
Abdullah HosseiniEskandian; gorbanali karimzadeh garamaleki; Abbas Abbaszadeh
Volume 11, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-27
Abstract
The historical aspect of the problem of evil and the questions that it creates about the Existence of God and His Absolute Attributes, caused theodices and defenses to be explained in Christian theology in order to defend the doctrine of theism. Such an issue has caused wide-ranging debates about it ...
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The historical aspect of the problem of evil and the questions that it creates about the Existence of God and His Absolute Attributes, caused theodices and defenses to be explained in Christian theology in order to defend the doctrine of theism. Such an issue has caused wide-ranging debates about it from the first centuries of AD to the present day. Saint Augustine (354-430 AD), who is one of the most prominent Christian thinkers and had a great influence on Christian theology, made a tremendous effort in his works to explain the problem of evil and provide solutions to justify it. What is clear from Augustine's thoughts and opinions about evil is that he considers evil in a negative sense, not a positive one, and considers evil to be the misuse of things and objects that are intrinsically good. In this article, an attempt is made to investigate and analyze Augustine's theodicy and finally criticize it based on the principles of Shia theology.MethodologyIn this article, with a descriptive-analytical method and a critical approach, an attempt is made to investigate and analyze Augustine's theodicy and criticize it based on Shia theological principles.FindingsThe problem of evil was an influential and important issue in Augustine's life and was the main cause of some of the evolutions that occurred in his life. Therefore, he has made major and comprehensive discussions about the problem of evil in his works. Augustine's theodicy is influenced by the principles that Augustine believed in and solved the problem of evil based on them. These principles are influenced by Christian beliefs, and Augustine explained and solved the problem of evil based on them. From Augustine's point of view, God did not create and does not create any evil, and it is man who causes evil by misusing and abusing his will. Augustine has stated solutions such as “achieving good through evil”, “few evil and abundance of good”, “necessity of the evil for the system of creation” and “evil is relative” to justify the problem of evil (Copleston, 2009, vol. 2: p.107). The theodicy of Augustine sees God's relationship with creatures and the universe in the form of impersonal relationships (Sefidkhosh and Moradi, 2015: p. 77). Therefore, man was created as a part of a hierarchy of forms of existence that would be incomplete without Him, and man has absolute reliance on the Absolute Goodness of God and His Grace. According to the theodicy of Augustine, it is basically impossible to get rid of evil and obtain good affairs without the help of the Divine Will and the granting of grace from Him. Augustine considers evil to be non-existent and moral evil also comes from human will and action that abuses his will.Discussion and ConclusionThe principle of defending the existence of God and His Absolute Attributes, defending the best system of creation, free will, fall of man, original sin and Divine Grace are among the principles based on which Saint Augustine explained and solved the problem of evil. Augustine believes in his theodicy that everything that is and exists is good and negation is evil because it does not benefit from existence. The theodicy of Augustine sees God's relationship with creatures and the universe in the form of impersonal relationships (Augustine, 2006: p.103). Augustine considers evil to be not essential and inherent, but an accident affair that lacks essence and substance and means the lack of perfection in an object. He believes that the minimal existence of evil is accepted and its negation is expressed by considering its minimal aspect (Augustine, 2012: p. 120). Augustine considers evil to be non-existent, which is why it does not deserve the existence of a cause; because the first and most important condition for the existence of an object is to have a cause (Brown, 2000: p.73). According to Augustine, any object or phenomenon that has stages of perfection and is useful is good, and if an object lacks stages of perfection, it cannot be called good anymore, but it is an evil that has no cause, and since it has no cause, it does not exist, and as a result, it is a non-existent affair. Augustine divides evil into moral and natural evil, and considers moral evil as human sin and natural evil as the punishment that a person must taste natural evil because of committing moral evil (De Paulo, 2006: p.34). Finally, it should be acknowledged that Augustine in his theodicy, despite the many efforts he had in solving the problem of evil, but this theodicy based on the approach of Shia theology faces criticisms such as “the lack of effect of original sin in committing moral evil”, “incorrect explanation of the relationship between evil and the material world”, “incorrect explanation of the agent of the realization of natural evil” and etc., which makes the acceptance and acceptability of his theodicy difficult.
Amirabbas Soulikhani; Qodratullah Qorbani
Volume 10, Issue 2 , March 2022, , Pages 21-42
Abstract
Questions like: "Is There a God?" and "Does God give meaning to life?" are two of the most vivid philosophical questions and Nietzsche reflected on both of them. Nietzsche denies the objective existence of God on the basis of a version of the divine hiddenness argument. He maintains that if one accepts ...
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Questions like: "Is There a God?" and "Does God give meaning to life?" are two of the most vivid philosophical questions and Nietzsche reflected on both of them. Nietzsche denies the objective existence of God on the basis of a version of the divine hiddenness argument. He maintains that if one accepts the theistic conception of God then he won’t be able to explain the silence of God throughout the history. He then thinks about the dying role of believing in God in giving meaning to human life. By using allegorical characters such as the madman with lantern, the old saint, the retired pope and the ugliest human being, Nietzsche tries to show how the death of God will result in spiritual crisis. The doctrine of Übermensch fills the emptiness that emerges after the death of God but Nietzsche’s argument against the existence of God is not successful and cannot establish an atheistic ontology. In addition to that, despite of some examples in different religions, there isn’t any necessary relation between believing in God with the Resentment and the denial of life. Finally, it will be shown that the doctrine of Übermensch is such an unachievable goal that will lead to human's psychological dissatisfaction.
seyyed Javad Miri
Volume 9, Issue 1 , August 2020, , Pages 25-40
Abstract
In this article, the author has attempted to inquire about the relevance of Ali Shariati's critique of Durkheim's sociology of religion. There are innumerable studies on Durkheim and the Durkheimian sociology of religion but we have almost no comprehensive research on the Shariatian reading of the Durkheimian ...
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In this article, the author has attempted to inquire about the relevance of Ali Shariati's critique of Durkheim's sociology of religion. There are innumerable studies on Durkheim and the Durkheimian sociology of religion but we have almost no comprehensive research on the Shariatian reading of the Durkheimian sociology of religion. Here, the author has worked on the notion of elementary form of religion as understood by Durkheim within the Shariatian frame of reference. Shariati argues that Durkheim has misunderstood the question of elementariness by equating the 'collective soul' and 'religious emotion' as in Shariati's view these two are fundamentally different in kind and substance. In other words, here the author is attempting to legitimize the Shariatian frame of reference while engaging the Durkheim's sociology of religion.
zeinab shakibi
Volume 8, Issue 1 , May 2019, , Pages 25-35
Abstract
Phililps as a wittgenstienian analitic philosopher in philosophy of religion consieders the language of religion as an unreal and uncognitive language . so he just counts the single way for understanding the meaning of theological items, to attention to the grammer of religious language. According to ...
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Phililps as a wittgenstienian analitic philosopher in philosophy of religion consieders the language of religion as an unreal and uncognitive language . so he just counts the single way for understanding the meaning of theological items, to attention to the grammer of religious language. According to his positivist view points, he cant respect any meaning for religious terms( like the existence of Gool ). Without the usage ot those in the failhefull life and their faithfull context . he beliefs that we can just understand the meaning of " worshipping of Gool " , " transcdence of God ", " Grace of God " , " love of God " and " love to God " by considering the context that these terms have used in that. And by attention to the usage of them in the life style of religious persons. But some of the other analitic philosophers in philosophy of religion have critieized his view point:1 ) they exhibit the paradox between absoluteness of beliving to existence of God and having the instrumental attitude to this belief.2 ) belief in Author denys the God that has been created by the style life of belivers.3) from their points of views,Phillips has mixed between belief and act.4) they belief that the absoluteness of objectivity of God denys its dependence to the mind.5) they reject the identity of meaning and usage about the religious terms.
Gholam Hossein Khedri; Hossein Sokhanvar
Volume 10, Issue 1 , December 2021, , Pages 27-47
Abstract
researchers turn to biology and neuroscience to explore factors such as religious tendencies, including VMAT2, known as the "God gene" in order to explore the cause of religious tendencies. . The focus of this group is to provide a complete map of religious beliefs on the mechanisms of the brain and ...
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researchers turn to biology and neuroscience to explore factors such as religious tendencies, including VMAT2, known as the "God gene" in order to explore the cause of religious tendencies. . The focus of this group is to provide a complete map of religious beliefs on the mechanisms of the brain and its nervous system, and basically provide the genetic basis for those brain mechanisms. According to this approach, they introduce genetic markers and spiritual intelligence (SQ) along with other human intelligence and believe that spiritual transcendental neural bases are also built solely from these foundations.The aim of this article is to introduce and review the three main and common approaches of religious physiology, namely biological psychology, Cognitive science of religion (CSR) and biology. Then the threats and opportunities of these approaches will be explored for traditional theology (in the Abraham religions). It is a common assumption that this type of study is completely anti-religious, or at least they are faced to reduction due to its empirical and evolutionary approaches. However, the purpose of this article is to show that adherence to religious physiology and brain evolution can also provide responding to positivist criticisms of religions
Maryam Aqamohammadreza; Mohammad Javad Rezaeirah; Hamidreza Ayatollahy
Volume 11, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 29-55
Abstract
One of the main topics of the philosophy of religion is the effectiveness of God and the manner of divine action in the world. Self-limiting thinking, which considers traditional philosophy and modern philosophy to be ineffective in responding to issues related to divine agency and God's relationship ...
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One of the main topics of the philosophy of religion is the effectiveness of God and the manner of divine action in the world. Self-limiting thinking, which considers traditional philosophy and modern philosophy to be ineffective in responding to issues related to divine agency and God's relationship with the world, tries to present new theologies according to its philosophical foundations so that they can solve philosophical and theological issues in the field of divine agency. to solve and answer the theological problems in this field by providing new definitions of former concepts. The question of this article is whether there is such an internal consistency in the thought system of process theology that can maintain the supremacy of God and the necessity and simplicity while establishing a mutual and two-way relationship between God and the world and solving philosophical and theological problems in the field of divine agency. Don't damage his essence? Since process theologians have spoken the most and most basic words in the field of self-determination thinking, we will first examine the theological perspective of process theologians and believers in God's believers self-limitation in the field of divine agency. In order to answer the philosophical and theological issues in this matter, in the analysis of divine agency in the world system, they consider change better than stability and consider their philosophy to be based on transformation and mutual and organic movement of all beings. Beings having two main and secondary dimensions, while having mutual relations with each other, they maintain their individuality and have creativity. Therefore, God, as one of the beings of this world who is across other beings, is variable in his subordinate nature, and the relationship of influence and influence between God and the beings of the world leads to the dissolution of God in the world. Now, in order to maintain the effectiveness and creativity and self-creation of other beings along with divine agency, previous knowledge and divine absolute power have been negated, and God is not the creator of beings, but only has creativity. By examining and analyzing this thought, we find out that in addition to the existence of internal inconsistency in the view of this school, Mulla Sadra, based on his philosophical principles, considers the theory of process theologians in the field of divine agency to be contrary to the inherent obligation and simplicity of God's essence, and considers the agent to be a manifestation, while preserving the excellence of the divine essence, proves his effectiveness in all dimensions of beings, and provides the field to respond to theological problems in the field of divine effectiveness.Considering that this article deals with the divine agency from Sadra's point of view with the perspective of dynamic theology, an attempt is made to first describe the perspective of process theology and its intellectual foundations by using the descriptive-analytical method, and then by examining the internal inconsistencies of this thinking, this theory should be explained and criticized in the system of Sadra's philosophy, and finally, Sadra's point of view should be examined in the discussion of divine agency. Based on the investigations, despite the many researches and articles that have been conducted on the subject of divine agency from Mulla Sadra's point of view, an independent work that has reread Sadra's manifest agency with regard to the theory of self-limitation in process theology and the problems raised in it from an internal point of view it was not found. The author's efforts to search for background on the subject of comparing process theology with Mulla Sadra's point of view led to the following findings:1- The book "Comparative research in the ontology and epistemology of Mulla Sadra and Whitehead" written by Mr. Mahdi Dehbashi in this book, the basics of ontology and epistemology are examined from the point of view of Whitehead as one of the most prominent thinkers of process philosophy and Mulla Sadra, the similarities and differences of this point of view are pointed out, and some of process theological theories are criticized. However, this book is different from the purpose of this research, which is to examine divine agency from the perspective of process theologians and criticize it based on internal consistency and Sadra's principles and the manner of agency in manifestation.2- Thesis entitled "The Problem of Divine agency in Mulla Sadra, Descartes and David Griffin" written by Mrs. Zainab Akhtari. In this research, Griffin's point of view as one of the leading figures of process theology and Mulla Sadra in the field of divine agency is examined. Although in this research, the discussion of divine agency is discussed from the point of view of these three thinkers and their differences and similarities, but in this research, after examining the foundations of process philosophy thinking and Mulla Sadra in the discussion of divine agency, we try to identify the weaknesses of process theology based on to criticize the basics of Sadra's thinking.3- Dissertation "Charles Hartshorne's process theological theory with the perspective of transcendental wisdom" written by Mr. Adham Meshmir in this thesis, although the viewpoint of one of the thinkers of process theology is examined, the issue of divine agency is not specifically investigated. In addition, it has not investigated Sadra's point of view in the discussion of divine agency and its confrontation with the problems ahead from his point of view; Rather, most of the views of the thinkers of transcendental wisdom, including Allameh Tabatabai and Shahid Motahari, have been examined.4- Dissertation "Examining the perspective of process theology according to Hartshorne's account of God's relationship with the world from the perspective of transcendental wisdom" written by Ms. Zainab Akhtari in this research, Hartshorne's view of process theologians and his intellectual foundations on the issue of God's relationship with the world have been examined, and then some of their views have been criticized based on the view of transcendental wisdom. Although in this research, an attempt has been made to criticize the divine intellectual principles of process scholars based on the principles of transcendental wisdom, but in my research, the issue of divine agency and its intellectual foundations has been presented and criticized in a more comprehensive manner from the perspective of process thinkers, and Sadra's answer in the discussion of effectiveness, it is explained in detail based on the effectiveness of manifestation. Finally, according to the searches, no research with the title, method and purpose of this research was found.
Tahereh Baghestani; Hadi Vakili; Naeme poormohammadi; Hosein Moosavi
Volume 11, Issue 1 , June 2022, , Pages 33-52
Abstract
The problem of evil has occupied the human mind for a long time and thinkers have tried to answer it in many different ways. These ways are sometimes proposed to prevent the feeling of atheism or despair towards the creator of the universe and sometimes to reduce suffering or anxiety in life. In the ...
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The problem of evil has occupied the human mind for a long time and thinkers have tried to answer it in many different ways. These ways are sometimes proposed to prevent the feeling of atheism or despair towards the creator of the universe and sometimes to reduce suffering or anxiety in life. In the tradition of Islamic mysticism, Ibn َArabi, who is the founder of the Akbari school, has provided a solution in this field based on his own mystical principles, namely, Nizam Ahsan, the system of divine names and attributes, fixed entities, and the personal unity of existence. In this article, we are trying to discover and reconstruct Ibn Arabi's answer in this context about the problem of evil based on the existential interpretation, based on these mystical foundations and with regard to contemporary approaches in the philosophy of religion. Based on this solution, from Ibn Arabi's point of view, evil is a relative matter and bound to the determinations and capabilities of the existing phenomena, and since according to the names of divine goodness, the whole system is good, and according to the theory of personal unity of existence, the truth of existence is unique to God. Giving meaning and consolation becomes possible with the presence of God.
Razieh Zeinaly; AmirAbbas Alizamani
Volume 8, Issue 1 , May 2019, , Pages 37-62
Abstract
The main purpose of this article is to discuss of the Other and its relationship with Human person in Kierkegaard's view. Our chief question in this article is whether we know ourselves in the mirror of the other or if the other is a barrier and hindrance to our cognition of ourselves. In this paper, ...
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The main purpose of this article is to discuss of the Other and its relationship with Human person in Kierkegaard's view. Our chief question in this article is whether we know ourselves in the mirror of the other or if the other is a barrier and hindrance to our cognition of ourselves. In this paper, first, we review the place of the other in the three stages of life and point out their differences with each other. Then, we continue to focus on the Ethical stage where is the main realm of the emergence of the "Other". After discussing the necessities and limitations of this stage, we review the topic of Love, focusing on the book "Works of love". Lastly, we ask this question that if the Other has the same place in Kierkegaard's eye just as concrete with all those flesh and blood and special traits as "Self" or Human person. In other words, what is the place of concrete Other in Kierkegaard's view? Does Kierkegaard ignore the concrete Other and bury its individuality by considering the Other as the mirror or model? Or does he promote the Other's status by making it into an ethical principle?
fazel boostan; mohammad shokry; Ali Mradkhani
Volume 9, Issue 1 , August 2020, , Pages 41-56
Abstract
Kant in Religion Within the Bounds of Bare Reason, offers the theory that human nature is essentially a radical evil. Kant's argument for Radical evil consists mainly of two parts; One is man's innate desire for evil and the other is the claim that radical evil is universality. By rejecting the theory ...
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Kant in Religion Within the Bounds of Bare Reason, offers the theory that human nature is essentially a radical evil. Kant's argument for Radical evil consists mainly of two parts; One is man's innate desire for evil and the other is the claim that radical evil is universality. By rejecting the theory of original sin, Kant first insists that evil is the inevitable characteristic of human nature, but that we have a moral responsibility for it. Because we freely choose and follow it. Kant argues that the innate talent or desire in a rational and limited factor is a mental principle or action that tends toward evil. Radical evil is both an innate desire and a moral action; A contradictory situation that has led commentators to consider it incompatible with Kant's other moral theories and to reject it. The purpose of this article is to critique the concept of Radical evil from Kant's point of view and its relation to moral authority and responsibility; Because attributing Radical evil to individual freedom is the beginning of the position of moral independence.
MohamadMahdi Jandaghian; Reza Akbari
Volume 10, Issue 2 , March 2022, , Pages 43-65
Abstract
In this paper, the term "Priority theology" is introduced to describe the theological system of Abu al-Husayn al-Basri in discussing the problem of divine action or, more generally, the problem of "God and the world." He believed that in a causal relationship, the cause does not necessitate the effect ...
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In this paper, the term "Priority theology" is introduced to describe the theological system of Abu al-Husayn al-Basri in discussing the problem of divine action or, more generally, the problem of "God and the world." He believed that in a causal relationship, the cause does not necessitate the effect but only makes the effect more likely to occur. According to him, since nature as a whole and as a collection of things and relationships is a creation of a Free God, the natural relationship, causality in nature, is only preponderant (أولی), not necessary; therefore, peripatetics and asharits' ideas of necessity and coincidence in causality are inaccurate. According to priority theology, God can act freely to create the world, choose states and objects for existence, and reset or change natural flows. Furthermore, priority theology emphasizes the role God, man, and nature play in reality. The explanation of miracles done by prophets, miracles of saints, answering prayers, termination of decisions, and appearance (بداء) in al-Basri's theology show that man and nature follow the order and authority established by God. However, God can intervene in the world for some reason, such as the revelation of his power and authority. By presenting a theological analysis of the philosophical approach, al-Basri's theology could create a new way of defending theological claims. Later, Ibn al-Malahim, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Sadid al-Din al-Hemmasi al-Razi, Khawaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Allama Helli, and others welcomed his theological way and established the basis for their theological systems. Some of the effects and consequences of al-Basri's priority theology include presenting new definitions of necessity, further explanations of causality in the world, the solution of predestination and delegation through intermediate position, miracles, and the like, and finally, solving the problem of evil.
Roohullah Behi
Volume 10, Issue 1 , December 2021, , Pages 47-76
Abstract
In this article, the problem of the soul-body relationship is surveyed through the existential approach of Sadr-al-Muta'allehin. In explaining this relationship, Sadra sometimes infers the unity and sometimes the duality; His main explanation also faces challenges from an analytical point of view. these ...
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In this article, the problem of the soul-body relationship is surveyed through the existential approach of Sadr-al-Muta'allehin. In explaining this relationship, Sadra sometimes infers the unity and sometimes the duality; His main explanation also faces challenges from an analytical point of view. these two problems, can be explained as the result of the philosopher’s commitment to logical requirements of conventional philosophical frameworks which are inevitable while addressing existential facts. after explaining the existential approach and reviewing the main opinions of philosophers, the explanation of al-hikmat-al-muta’āliyah which stats that the soul’s occurrence is material and its permanence is incorporeal, is discussed. Then, considering the challenges of the famous explanation, another explanation based on Mulla-Sadra's existential approach is provided, and based on it challenges of the famous explanation and the explanation of the decisive phenomena in the problem is discussed. We also show that his alterations from the existential horizon within conventional frameworks, prepare them for carrying the Transcendent meanings; and conceptual encounter with the expressions carrying them results in meaning inconsistency.
Omidreza janbaz; Alireza fazeli
Volume 11, Issue 1 , June 2022, , Pages 53-78
Abstract
The interplay between reason and faith, a fundamental query that has been a source of contemplation throughout history, has a social component. Thomas Aquinas, one of the most influential figures in the history of thought, has had a profound impact on modern society. His ideas were instrumental in the ...
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The interplay between reason and faith, a fundamental query that has been a source of contemplation throughout history, has a social component. Thomas Aquinas, one of the most influential figures in the history of thought, has had a profound impact on modern society. His ideas were instrumental in the process of secularization, which sought to remove religious doctrine from public life. However, the views of today's society do not require the removal of religion from society, but its absorption and clear reception in the public arena and efforts to maintain the participation of believers in its members, under the condition of rational interaction. In this regard, late political theology, in view of the shortcomings of modern secular reason, by denying the "pure natural state", searches for some kind of equivalence between the natural and the supernatural. Therefore, Thomas's thought, which according to some, was a stimulus in the formation of the apparently secular society, a claim that has in front of it the documentation of the claim of strong Christian reading within religion, from another point of view, have a special role in the formation of the thought of the post-secular society. In this article, while examining the foundations of Thomas's thought in the formation of secular society, by reviewing several readings and controversies, in the shadow of the references of thinkers such as Milbank and Habermas, we will have reflections on the capacities of his position for the post-secular society.
somayeh khademi; zeynab shariatnia
Volume 11, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 57-81
Abstract
Sleep and dreams are among the salient concepts in religious-mystical studies and psychology that religious scholars, Muslim mystics, and psychologists have paid particular attention to and expressed thoughtful opinions. In the thought of mystics, one of the ways that a person can communicate with the ...
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Sleep and dreams are among the salient concepts in religious-mystical studies and psychology that religious scholars, Muslim mystics, and psychologists have paid particular attention to and expressed thoughtful opinions. In the thought of mystics, one of the ways that a person can communicate with the unseen world is the world of dreams, in which the meanings of the unseen world take on sensual ecstasy and express particular concepts and themes. One of the mystics who paid distinct attention to the issue of dreams in his works is Mohi Al-Din Ibn Arabi (1240-1165 AD). The issue of dreams in Ibn Arabi's intellectual-mystical system has an inseparable association with uncovering, intuition, and spiritual experiences. He has dedicated the Yousefi and Ishaq chapters of Fosus Al-Hikam and a large part of the Meccan conquests, including chapters 99 and 180, to this issue. He considers the dream language to be symbolic and believes that the science of interpretation helps elicit the true meaning of what has been witnessed in a dream.On the other hand, dreams have been the focus of psychologists and psychoanalysts in psychology because they are related to the human psyche and are the source of many human behaviors. Erich Fromm (1900-1980), a German-American psychoanalyst, sociologist, and renowned social psychologist of the Frankfurt school (Miri768,9 2014: 10), in his valuable work entitled “The Forgotten Language,” examined dreams thoroughly using previous findings and experiences on psych activities. According to his belief, dreams rooted in human thoughts and ideas are entirely authentic and meaningful and express the thoughts, interests, and desires of people. Erich Fromm considers the language of dreams to be a symbolic language that needs interpretation. Understanding the symbolic language is necessary for anyone who wants to know himself, and if he does not understand this language, he will miss the various points in sleeping. Therefore, the art of dream interpretation task is to understand the motivations of human behavior (natural and unnatural) and to distinguish the reasonable and higher parts of the dream from the unreasonable parts.Given the importance of the dream issue in the thoughts of mystics and psychologists, the researchers of the present paper are to investigate the supra-natural viewpoints of Ibn Arabi and the natural approach of Erich Formm based on comparative analysis and according to the librarian evidence with a fresh view. So far, some research has been written about sleep and dreams. Among them is "Sleep and Dream from Ibn Arabi's Point of View" written by Abdolreza Mazaheri, which discussed topics such as dreams, the world of absolute and binding examples, spiritual hermeneutics and interpretation, and imagination from Ibn Arabi's viewpoint. Vahidah Haddad and Mohammad Bidhandi, in the article "The Nature of Sleep and Dreams from the Point of View of Farabi, Suhrawardi, and Ibn Arabi," have compared the views of Suhrawardi, Farabi, and Ibn Arabi about dreams. Ali Arshad Riahi and Fatemeh Zare, in a paper entitled “Comparison Study on Dream in the View of Ibn Arabi and Mula Sadra" explained their comparable and discrepant views upon dreams. Meanwhile, no study has focused on comparing Ibn Arabi and Erich Formm concerning the issue of dreams and their language. Therefore, this article tries to answer critical questions in this regard. Among these questions are: What is the origin of sleep and dreams in humans? What are the types of sleep and dreams? What is the language of sleep and dreams? Should dreams be interpreted, and if they are interpretable, who should do it?The research findings indicate that Ibn Arabi and Erich Forumm work on the issue from a specific aspect.The similarities between Ibn Arabi's and Eric Fromm's views on dreaming reflect broader trends in the history of psychology and religious studies, each emphasizing the importance of self-knowledge and personal growth. Both thinkers believe that dreams can reveal hidden aspects of oneself and the interpretation of these dreams can lead to greater self-knowledge and understanding. At the same time, the differences between their perspectives reflect broader trends in the history of psychology and religious studies that highlight different approaches to understanding human experience and consciousness. Ibn Arabi's point of view is rooted in a mystical cosmology that emphasizes the importance of self-transcendence and achieving unity with the world of meaning and the unseen. Eric Fromm's view, on the contrary, is rooted in humanistic psychology, which emphasizes the importance of self-actualization and personal growth. These different approaches to understanding human experience and consciousness have important implications for our understanding of ourselves and our relationship with the world. For Ibn Arabi, the soul is ultimately the manifestation of God and the goal of human life is to achieve union with God through spiritual practices such as meditation and thinking. According to Eric Fromm, the self is a unique being that has the possibility of growth and self-fulfillment through the realization of its unique potential. As a result, by exploring these different perspectives, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complexity and richness of human experience and better understand how we can achieve greater self-knowledge and personal growth and use this knowledge to make positive changes in our lives.
Volume 9, Issue 1 , August 2020, , Pages 57-75
Abstract
The problem of science and religion is one of the major problems in the philosophy of religion. Historical facts bring about ground for evaluating the models which are raised to explain the relationship between science and religion. Among these events, we can consider the coronavirus crisis which today ...
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The problem of science and religion is one of the major problems in the philosophy of religion. Historical facts bring about ground for evaluating the models which are raised to explain the relationship between science and religion. Among these events, we can consider the coronavirus crisis which today all human society is in engagement with it. It seems that, due to the theoretical aspects of all the models explaining the relation between science and religion, we are unable to study the concrete reality of science and religion around this crisis in Iran; a reality, a reality that is social rather than being conceptual. This article claims that although there isn''t a conflict between science and religion, the concrete reality manifests some sort of conflict among the religious society and scientific advances. How can we articulate this conflict between conceptual analysis and concrete reality? It seems that we can recognize the conflict between conceptual analysis and concrete reality through considering the category of "folk religion". By applying “folk religion”, which is mainly maintained in the social study of religion and through a phenomenological perspective, we will try to explain the conflict between religion and science in Iran around the crisis. So, by assessing the inefficiency of related models for explaining the relation between science and religion, we can conclude the inadequacy of theoretical models in general and claim that only through considering the category of "folk religion" we can explain the coronavirus crisis in Iran.
Hossein Ejtehadian
Volume 8, Issue 1 , May 2019, , Pages 63-81
Abstract
Physics not only could change our philosophical and theological world view, but also itself is based on philosophical and theological presuppositions and perspectives. Quantum mechanics beside the failure of positivists viewpoint in twentieth century deepened the relations of physics and philosophical ...
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Physics not only could change our philosophical and theological world view, but also itself is based on philosophical and theological presuppositions and perspectives. Quantum mechanics beside the failure of positivists viewpoint in twentieth century deepened the relations of physics and philosophical and theological world views. There has been so many efforts to maintain the idea of intentional or special divine action in the world, and do so in a variety of ways, all of which heavily engage quantum theory. Quantum mechanics events have been so amazing and confusing that resulted to different interpretations. The Quantum mechanics relation to theology or metaphysic entirely depended to the interpretation of physical phenomenon and affected from the entailments of physics about the real world. In this article we will integrate David Bohm’s interpretation of Quantum mechanics and Sadra’s philosophy to explain special divine action in the world.
masood khoshtinat; Amir Mohbian; mahdi najafiafra
Volume 10, Issue 2 , March 2022, , Pages 67-87
Abstract
The question of the beginning and end of existence is one of the fundamental issues that philosophers have addressed with different approaches such as evidentialism. Antony Flew is one of the philosophers of evidentialism who, during the two periods of his scientific life, based on evidence, sought the ...
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The question of the beginning and end of existence is one of the fundamental issues that philosophers have addressed with different approaches such as evidentialism. Antony Flew is one of the philosophers of evidentialism who, during the two periods of his scientific life, based on evidence, sought the analysis of theism and first turned to atheism and then to deism. Of course, changing his belief in God does not mean completely changing all the beliefs of his atheistic times. What is his view in the age of atheism and deism and the analysis of what Flew has actually preserved from his atheistic thought and what he has changed,, and to what extent his reasons are compatible with its results and what weaknesses are there in his theistic thought, are the subjects of this article. As a result of this analysis, it will be clear that Flew still stands on many of the positions of his time of atheism. His thought has weaknesses, and Flew has contradictions about his reasons and conclusions.
mostafa abedi; mohmmad asghari; isa mosazade
Volume 10, Issue 1 , December 2021, , Pages 77-96
Abstract
In modern thought, started from Cartesian philosophy, there is no room for any knowledge beyond reason so that everything cannot be perceived by reason regarded as unknowable. Descartes believes that faith cannot be a kind of human knowledge and as a result of this fact, he separates them as two different ...
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In modern thought, started from Cartesian philosophy, there is no room for any knowledge beyond reason so that everything cannot be perceived by reason regarded as unknowable. Descartes believes that faith cannot be a kind of human knowledge and as a result of this fact, he separates them as two different matters of two different essences. He regards faith as a belief and equates it with reliance or confidence. Faith, contrary to knowledge and rationality which acquired step by step through human endeavor, occurs suddenly. The divine revelation transcends us to the immune belief in God not through gradual process but through immediate change. Regarding to the method, Descartes maintains that his method (i. e. mathematical one) is not applicable to the realm of faith because it is confined to that of reason. Finally, in confliction between reason and faith, Descartes sides with the latter, and plainly pronounces that it is impossible to have the theology as a science.
maryam barooti; Mohammad saeedimehr
Volume 11, Issue 1 , June 2022, , Pages 79-99
Abstract
The so-called principle of the simple (Qaideh al-wahid) can be considered as one of the most significant and challenging philosophical principles in the context of the Islamic philosophy. In his Remarks and Admonitios, Ibn Sina has discussed this principle under the title “admonition”. For ...
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The so-called principle of the simple (Qaideh al-wahid) can be considered as one of the most significant and challenging philosophical principles in the context of the Islamic philosophy. In his Remarks and Admonitios, Ibn Sina has discussed this principle under the title “admonition”. For his commentator Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, this means that Ibn Sina considers this principle as self-evident. Based on this, with a correct and precise concept of the components of the rule, we should accept it without any requirements to argumentation. In this article, we analyze each of the components of the principle by the method of conceptual analysis and then we examine the consistency between these components. The conclusion is that some of these components are inconsistent with the others and therefore there is no reasonable ground for admitting that the principle is self-evident.
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.
Aysooda Hashempour; abdolali shokr
Volume 9, Issue 1 , August 2020, , Pages 77-94
Abstract
Imam Ali’s approach on the principle of divine justice in Nahj Albalagheh and explaining it according to a rational method and paying attention to his subjects and structures about this matter, has not been considered by justice inquirers. In Imam Ali’s word, adl takvini is based on the pivot ...
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Imam Ali’s approach on the principle of divine justice in Nahj Albalagheh and explaining it according to a rational method and paying attention to his subjects and structures about this matter, has not been considered by justice inquirers. In Imam Ali’s word, adl takvini is based on the pivot of balance of the universe that in his viewpoint can be considered as an introduction of existential reasons however does not need any explanation. Also his attention to adl tashri’i is explicable with a cue to prophetic mission and divine orders. Appropriateness of penalty and reward with the humane acts and equality in this issue, providing the equality of merits, are also two issues that according to them, rational declaration of penal justice would be possible. In addition to draw an exponent from Imam Ali’s approach to divine justice in three fields of takvin, tashri’, and penalty, this assay has paid attention to the structures and subjects of his reasoning with a descriptive-analytic method. The results of the assay represent that Imam Ali’s words in this issue is logical and has rational structure and from author’s viewpoint is an effective research to open the new ways about researching into Nahj Albalagheh.