philosophy
Asghar Vaezi; Hussein Niazbakhsh
Abstract
IntroductionIbn Gabirol (a Jewish philosopher of the 11th century CE) enumerates different divisions for the concept of "being" in his book, “Fons Vitae". At first glance, some of these divisions seem incompatible with each other. Based on the findings of this research, Ibn Gabirol considers “being” ...
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IntroductionIbn Gabirol (a Jewish philosopher of the 11th century CE) enumerates different divisions for the concept of "being" in his book, “Fons Vitae". At first glance, some of these divisions seem incompatible with each other. Based on the findings of this research, Ibn Gabirol considers “being” to be equivalent to “unity”. By focusing on this concept, different divisions of being can be reconciled. God (Unity the Creator) is at the head of the hierarchy of beings and after that, there is “what is possible” (unity the created). Every “possible” is made up of two beings: matter and form. According to Ibn Gabirol, the form is the same as unity, but matter (material being) is neither unity nor plurality, although it can be the subject and sustainer of unity and plurality.Research Question(s)Ibn Gabirol has several different interpretations of the meaning of “being” and its types. On the one hand, he attributes “being” to God or “First Essence”, and on the other hand, he attributes it to “universal matter” and “universal form” and not God. The Jewish philosopher, also, has different interpretations about the value of “being” and its meaning. But how can these different interpretations and statements be united? Is it possible to achieve a coherent philosophy from Ibn Gabirol's ontology? Literature ReviewThe issue of "being" in the philosophy of Ibn Gabirol is not raised by the commentators of this philosopher and his book, “Fons Vitae”. Most of the commentators have not tried to specify the type of being of matter and determine its relation to the “universal form” and “First Essence”. It is only “Sarah Pessin” who has tried to determine the place of matter and explain the ontology of Ibn Gabirol in her book: "Theology of Desire". But she has abandoned the duality of matter and form and has considered “universal matter” to be higher and more valuable than form, and this is exactly what is not consistent with Ibn Gabirol's philosophy and the text of “Fons Vitae”. MethodologyThis article’s method is "structural textualism". In this method, some internal contradictions of a specific text are considered and only based on the text and its content and rules, and without considering external assumptions, it is tried to dissolve the contradictions or solve the problems. ResultsIn Ibn Gabirol's ontological system, “matter” has a special place and cannot be compared with Ibn Sina's "quiddity" (Mahiyat). According to Ibn Gabirol, universal matter and universal form are equal and none is superior to the other. Only God is the source and creator of both and for this reason, God is above them. This point of view is opposed to the dominant view of the Platonic philosophers (such as Muslims, Jews, Christians, and even pagans) who consider matter as the source of ambiguity and change, and sometimes equal to privation. Ibn Gabirol has a different view of “matter” and believes that matter has the highest ontological rank after God and is more valuable (dignior) than all beings in the world (from Intelligence to Soul, Nature, etc.). Discussion The foundation of the coherence of the Jewish philosopher's ontology and the relationship between the types of being is the concept of "unity". The statement "being is unity" is the fundamental statement of Ibn Gabirol's ontology. Unity the Creator or God, which is "one", is the unity that is self-sufficient and has inherent consistency. This pure unity emanates its unity to the world. This emanated unity (unity the created) is called “universal form”. But the emanated unity is not self-sufficient and needs a sustainer, which is a “universal matter”. Matter in itself is neither unity nor multiplicity, but the origin of the realization of unity and multiplicity, and for this reason, it is related to unity. All beings in the universe can be analyzed into matter and form. God is "one" or unity that is self-sufficient and is the origin of all numbers or beings. From this self-sufficient being, another “one” is created, which is conjunct with matter. This substance causes the multiplication of this secondary unity and makes different numbers which are created from "one". Therefore, the only beings that have real existence are:The first essence (unity the creator and self-sufficient)universal form (unity the created and non-self-sufficient)universal matter (the sustainer of form).The “First Essence”, which is “pure unity”, is called “absolute being” (esse tantum). The universal form and universal matter are called universal beings (esse universalis) and all other entities that are reduced to matter and form are called beings (esse). The relationship between matter and being is as paradoxical and ambiguous as the relationship between matter and unity. Matter is not the substance of unity, but is the sustainer of unity, and for this reason, it is indirectly called “unity”. In the same way, matter is called “being” because of its connection with being. ConclusionThe concept which is able to solve the problem of “being” in Ibn Gabirol's philosophy is “unity". Just as all beings are numbers and numbers are all created from the repetition of “one”, beings are also the result of the repetition of “being” and finally reduced to universal matter and form and the first essence.
Mojgan Ahmadi
Abstract
What do we mean when we talk about cogito sum? What do these words refer to in their use? How did they appear for the first time? How have they progressed and at the same time the progress of which concepts they are? This paper aims to research cogito sum’s form and concept. Therefore, it asks ...
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What do we mean when we talk about cogito sum? What do these words refer to in their use? How did they appear for the first time? How have they progressed and at the same time the progress of which concepts they are? This paper aims to research cogito sum’s form and concept. Therefore, it asks about the formal and conceptual structure of cogito sum in order to move towards the questionable aspect of the cogito sum question, ie “Being”. Hence this paper is a step towards providing the possibility of dialogue with this philosophical concept, that is, the possibility of answering it on the way of necessity aspect of philosophical questioning. The aim is to find a set of contributions to this philosophical concept, through the texts that significate the questioning aspect of Cogito sum. Based on tradition, the subject is gathered by Martin Heidegger. Thus, it makes this step possible with respect to a part of Heidegger's encounter with this question.
Morteza Pouyan
Abstract
There is no doubt that both Mulla Sadra and Allame believe that philosophical necessity holds in external world; they begin their philosophy by necessity as well. Necessity is actually the origin and basis of all beings and truths in external world, one can even argue that it is the same as the objectivity ...
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There is no doubt that both Mulla Sadra and Allame believe that philosophical necessity holds in external world; they begin their philosophy by necessity as well. Necessity is actually the origin and basis of all beings and truths in external world, one can even argue that it is the same as the objectivity of things. It is, whatever being devoid of necessity, is devoid of objectivity and reality. But Mulla Sadra and Allame differ in the origin of such necessity. Each of these philosopher’s abstract necessity from one thing. Whereas Mulla Sadra takes necessity from being, Allame takes it from reality as such. In other words, for Mulla Sadra the basis of philosophical necessity of things lies in the being and for Allame in reality as such. Mulla Sadra, therefore, begins his philosophy from being and Allame from the reality of things. In this paper, we consider first the question of how they differ in the origin of abstraction of philosophical necessity and then the question of which philosophical and practical consequences follow from these two views.
Zakieh Azadani; Seyyed Mohammad Reza Beheshti
Abstract
The question of freedom has been one of the most famous and also most important issues in the history of philosophy. But Heidegger's approach to this question is privileged and outstanding. This article tries to convey the idea of freedom in three phases of Heidegger's thought, on the basis of three ...
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The question of freedom has been one of the most famous and also most important issues in the history of philosophy. But Heidegger's approach to this question is privileged and outstanding. This article tries to convey the idea of freedom in three phases of Heidegger's thought, on the basis of three important concepts: human being, world and Being. If the question of freedom in Being and Time concentrates on the concept of Dasein and his returning to himself as the pure possibility, in the writings between the years 1928 to 1931, the idea of transcendental freedom is posed in relation to the concept of the world. Here, freedom as the ground of every grounding, let Dasein connect the beings as a whole and build a world. Finally, since 1931, the question of freedom tied to the issue of Being and became the fundamental condition of unconcealment as the truth of Being.
Ahmad Asgari; sina salari khoram
Abstract
The parts I & III of Kitab al-Horuf deals with explaining the role of particles in expressing the philosophical notions. This, it seems, is a meta-ontological program that al-Farabi is developing. First, he puts a meta-ontological problem concerning the insufficiency of natural language to express ...
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The parts I & III of Kitab al-Horuf deals with explaining the role of particles in expressing the philosophical notions. This, it seems, is a meta-ontological program that al-Farabi is developing. First, he puts a meta-ontological problem concerning the insufficiency of natural language to express the metaphysical thought especially the being, then he devises a specific logic for being and existents. It is clear that we do need a particular language for metaphysics. He develops this logic, i.e. a special syntax and semantics for metaphysics. He thinks metaphysics deals with meta-categories and if these are to be expressed adequately they must be expressed as particles.
Behnam Zolghadr; Davood Hosseini
Abstract
There are true contradictions in Ibn ‘Arabi’s theory of the Oneness of Being. The most important one occurs in his explanation of the relation between Being and beings. According to Ibn ‘Arabi, Being is identical with beings as well as it is non-identical with beings. Different philosophers, ...
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There are true contradictions in Ibn ‘Arabi’s theory of the Oneness of Being. The most important one occurs in his explanation of the relation between Being and beings. According to Ibn ‘Arabi, Being is identical with beings as well as it is non-identical with beings. Different philosophers, through hundreds of years, tried to dissolve this contradiction by giving consistent readings of Ibn ‘Arabi’s theory of the Oneness of Being. We will not follow this path. Instead, we accept those true contradictions and, thus, take the theory of the Oneness of Being to be a dialetheist theory. Our claim is that one can have a paraconsistent semantics of the theory of the oneness of being. To do so, we appeal to Graham Priest’s Gluon Theory. Gluon Theory concerns the problem of unity, i.e. what makes the plurality of an object’s parts into a whole. Gluon theory is a dialetheist theory and, thus, its semantics is a paraconsistent one. After giving a dialethiest reading of Ibn ‘Arabi’s Theory of the Oneness of Being, and explaining Gluon Theory, we will propose a translation of the former theory into the latter one. We will try to show that how Gluon Theory can explain the Theory of the Oneness of Being. In this essay, our focus is on the relation between Being and beings and, thus, other aspects of the Theory of the Oneness of Being will not be our main concern.
Ruhollah rajabi; Reza Soleiman Heshmat
Abstract
Understanding logic, the possibility of new logics and also recognition (understanding) of grounds of metaphysics entails understanding of the truth of language. Language always recognized as the system of signs and in order to convey thoughts. Heidegger is one of the thinkers who has presented a special ...
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Understanding logic, the possibility of new logics and also recognition (understanding) of grounds of metaphysics entails understanding of the truth of language. Language always recognized as the system of signs and in order to convey thoughts. Heidegger is one of the thinkers who has presented a special thought in this area. In Being and Time, Heidegger recognizes speech as one of the existential characteristics of Dasein and believes that the understanding of being in the world is already unconcealed in speech. Later, Heidegger concentrates on the issue of language more fundamentally and asserts that language is the house of Being and Being unconceals itself in language. Dasein is absorbed in the speech of Being and Being is concealed in the speech of Dasein. Dasein can approach the truth of language in Angst. The speech of Being, is the ground of the language of the great thinkers and poets which renders the ground of the history of a people.
elham kandari; saeed binai motlagh
Abstract
One of the most basic metaphysical doctrines is the "Oneness". We are, in this paper, coming to introduce this doctrine in Aristotle; and, so, at first, we mention basic differences between him and his formers, and distinguish Aristotle's "multiple" view from their "monistic" view. Then, counting the ...
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One of the most basic metaphysical doctrines is the "Oneness". We are, in this paper, coming to introduce this doctrine in Aristotle; and, so, at first, we mention basic differences between him and his formers, and distinguish Aristotle's "multiple" view from their "monistic" view. Then, counting the meanings of "one" in common Greek language, we receive to two kinds of oneness: material and formal. We will see that perfection, oneness, and form are parallel to potentiality, multiplicity, and matter; and oneness, in its foremost sense, is the formal "one", not material; and this formal "one" is the principle of individuality. Finally, we will see that how immovable movers, and most of all the first immovable mover, are abstract individuals and the first "Ones".
reza akbarian; amili novo egliza
Abstract
The fact that Corbin left the realm of Western philosophy to devote himself to Islamic philosophy and Iranian theosophers has usually been considered as a radical "rupture" in Corbin's philosophical thought. This article aims at showing that in reality, there is no contradiction but rather a deep continuity ...
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The fact that Corbin left the realm of Western philosophy to devote himself to Islamic philosophy and Iranian theosophers has usually been considered as a radical "rupture" in Corbin's philosophical thought. This article aims at showing that in reality, there is no contradiction but rather a deep continuity in his philosophical path, which was guided by a unique quest of being. Corbin was therefore deeply influenced by Heidegger's main issue of "being qua being" as well as his hermeneutical methodology, but reached another apprehension and level of being through his acquaintance with Mullâ Sadrâ's transcendental philosophy. This crossed-approach led to the transformation of the Heideggerian "Being-towards-death" into the Sadrian "Being-beyond-death", and revealed the deep correspondence between the mode of being and the mode of comprehension as well as the complementary nature of philosophy and mysticism; the latter being the essential and only true realm in which, through presential knowledge, "the fundamental reality of being" may be grasped.
ramin khanbagi
Abstract
Parmenides' Poem, though expressed in an allegorical manner to the extent that it has been preserved and handed down to us, without at!} doubt, shows his in-depth and profound insight into the question of Being. After a concise representation of his thought, the main purpose has been to show that, with ...
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Parmenides' Poem, though expressed in an allegorical manner to the extent that it has been preserved and handed down to us, without at!} doubt, shows his in-depth and profound insight into the question of Being. After a concise representation of his thought, the main purpose has been to show that, with regards to 'The Wcry of Truth" and Parmenides disregard for the realm of sense perception, tno different approaches mcry be accounted for. One mcry be that of an ana/ytz'cal/y• oriented mind to read through and understand Parmenides perplexing scryings, and the other mcry pertain to someone ivho tries to see through and contemplate upon the existing Fragments in pursue of a much deeper meaning, not necessarily that of a discursive mind.
