Research Paper
abbas yazdani
Abstract
Does belief in God require the arguments of natural theology to be rationally justified? Some Reformed epistemologists hold that the arguments of natural theology are not necessary for belief in God to be warrant. Moreover, in responding to the question of whether the arguments of natural theology can ...
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Does belief in God require the arguments of natural theology to be rationally justified? Some Reformed epistemologists hold that the arguments of natural theology are not necessary for belief in God to be warrant. Moreover, in responding to the question of whether the arguments of natural theology can confirm or strengthen theistic beliefs, they maintain that since none of the traditional theistic arguments is true, they cannot confirm or strengthen theistic beliefs. However, in this paper, I will argue that although belief in God is properly basic, this belief - at least, in some circumstances - is still in need of the evidence and arguments of natural theology. Hence, natural theology still is inescapable in some contexts. I shall argue that in spite of what has been contended, Reformed thinkers endorse a kind of natural theology. I shall also argue that it is not true to say that all theistic arguments are flawed and useless; as we shall see, some arguments could be sufficient evidence for theistic beliefs. Accordingly, there is no conflict between basicality of belief in God and inferential arguments of natural theology.
Research Paper
reza akbarian; mohsen emami na'ini
Abstract
In this article, Mullā Sadrā’s theories on practical philosophy are compared with those of Aristotle, Al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā, and Suhrawardī, revealing Mulla Sadrā’s radical innovations in the matter in respects to their widely revered views. Muslim philosophers such as Al-Farabi and, ...
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In this article, Mullā Sadrā’s theories on practical philosophy are compared with those of Aristotle, Al-Fārābī, Ibn Sīnā, and Suhrawardī, revealing Mulla Sadrā’s radical innovations in the matter in respects to their widely revered views. Muslim philosophers such as Al-Farabi and, after him, Ibn Sina, regarded action and will as secondary and subordinate. By introducing this problem, the author is not to claim that they paid no attention to practical issues or to the value of man’s acts; but it is meant to say that, like Aristotle, they deemed thought to be principial and thus the will subordinate to it. Despite opposition of Ash‘ari scholars in general and Ghazali in particular and somehow jurists and mystics, such a view was followed until the time of Suhrawardi and Ibn Arabi. At this time, Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina’s views on the matter were criticized and a new path was taken on the issue of the priority of thought to practice and priority of thought to will. However, Mulla Sadra presented the most innovative view on this issue on the basis of an inclusive view on existence as well as on man in theoretical and practical realms. On this basis, Mulla Sadra rejected both the views of Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina who considered God to be an Agent-by-foreknowledge so that he may deem God’s knowledge to be sufficient to realize it, and Suhrawardi’s theory according to which God’s agency was agency-by-agreement, so that His active knowledge may suffice for the realization of action. For him, nor knowledge is primary and essential neither will and action are secondary and subordinate. Basing himself on such a view, Mulla Sadra proceeds to discuss the relation between speculative and practical philosophy and provides ideas that are fully different from those of previous philosophers on the issues of practical philosophy and political philosophy, as well as concerning the qualities of the first ruler of the polis. The aim of this article is to present an account of Mulla Sadra’s ideas concerning the relation between theory and practice, and to demonstrate its philosophical implications in the field of political thinking as compared to the present situation.
Research Paper
ali naghi bagher shahi
Abstract
Of all the Vedantic school, that of Shankara has the most importance and allocates the largest amount of literature in the form of commentaries and treaties to itself, so that it would not be inappropriate to call Shankara the most influential Indian philosopher. This article is an attempt to shed some ...
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Of all the Vedantic school, that of Shankara has the most importance and allocates the largest amount of literature in the form of commentaries and treaties to itself, so that it would not be inappropriate to call Shankara the most influential Indian philosopher. This article is an attempt to shed some light on knowledge and reality as viewed in Vedantic school of Shankara. Since Shankara is the main exponent of this school, Vedanta philosophy is associated with his name. Owing to his intensely loyalty to tradition and innovative nature of his works, he fascinated and inspired the contemporary Indian thinkers more than other Vedantins. Shankara's Vedanta is based on Advaita (non-dualism) philosophy, according to which ultimate reality is one (unqualified monism), though it appears in many individuals. His non-dualism is traceable to Buddhism, and the latter also is believed to have its origin in the Upanishads. Shankara developed his views about knowledge and reality through his commentaries on the Bdarayana’s Sutras (aphorism). He rejected all types of dualism and proposed a metaphysical, epistemological, and axiological non-dualism. It is said that he was under the influence of Buddhism, yet he was a severe critic of Buddhism as well.
Research Paper
tahmatollah mousavi moghaddam; amir abbas alizamani
Abstract
A comparative discussion on "Spiritual Health", as one of the most imperative health fundamentals has been initiated. This concept has recently been added to the previous health constituents including physical, psychological and social aspects by the World Health Organization. This paper considers views ...
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A comparative discussion on "Spiritual Health", as one of the most imperative health fundamentals has been initiated. This concept has recently been added to the previous health constituents including physical, psychological and social aspects by the World Health Organization. This paper considers views adopted by two philosophers and thinkers, Rene Descartes, known as the father of modern philosophy, culture and humanism and Allameh Tabatabaei, regarded as the representative of Islamic culture and philosophy in recent time. Due to his humanistic perspective, Descartes holds that spiritual health is of an abstract nature and is solely connected with human's conscience and intellectual insight and is also indicative of a naturalistic (materialistic) interpretation of humans, but it is not concerned with humans' desires, behavior and super-humanistic realm. But, in Allameh Tabatabaei's opinion, who is a divine philosopher, spiritual health depends on humans' super-naturalistic realm and meaning seeking nature, i.e. the acceptance of absolute reality principle (God) as the meaning of life that aside from correcting humans' insight and outlook, assigns direction to his behavior and attitude.
Research Paper
nader mohammad zadeh
Abstract
In this research, ‘vision’ in Kobrāwīyids and Orthodox Christian mysticism is studied comparatively. Most of the mystics of both ways have experienced God as light, but some of them have experienced God in darkness or black light symbol. They asserted God’s incomprehensible presence ...
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In this research, ‘vision’ in Kobrāwīyids and Orthodox Christian mysticism is studied comparatively. Most of the mystics of both ways have experienced God as light, but some of them have experienced God in darkness or black light symbol. They asserted God’s incomprehensible presence in the symbol of black light in order to purify God from any similarity. This is a light that causes the vision, but itself is not seen, because of intensity of shining and nearness. Here, I argue that despite both of the ways have many similarities on concept of the vision, Orthodox mystics describe the vision as vision of Trinity, especially vision of Christ, but Kobrāwīyid sufis do not speak of the vision of God, because they believe in the absolute transcendence of God, and describe their vision as degrees of dignity of God (Mahadher) and His manifestations.
Research Paper
mohammad ali abbasian
Abstract
Gettier problems are cases, or examples, which appear to run counter JTB analyses of knowledge as justified true belief. According to JTB theory of knowledge, S knows p, only if: a) The proposition p in true; b) S believes that p; c) S is justified in his belief that p. Gettier problems state that the ...
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Gettier problems are cases, or examples, which appear to run counter JTB analyses of knowledge as justified true belief. According to JTB theory of knowledge, S knows p, only if: a) The proposition p in true; b) S believes that p; c) S is justified in his belief that p. Gettier problems state that the three conditions (a-c) are not sufficient for explaining what knowledge is. Because there might be some counter examples, which are cases of justified true belief but are not considered as cases of knowledge. Most of the epistemologists have accepted Gettier’s conclusion and tried to find an alternative theory of knowledge. Many of these epistemologists have tried to add a fourth condition to the earlier three conditions (a-c), to get a Gettier-proof definition of knowledge. According to one of these strategies, the added condition is: d) the epistemic justification for truth of his belief is not a refutable one. And according to another strategy, the added condition is: d´) the epistemic justification for truth of his belief is not a defeasible one. However, we will see that both of these proposals encounter to Gettier problem
Research Paper
nasrollah emami; mohammadreza kamali baniani
Abstract
Marxist thinking about culture has paved the way for much research and teaching in university departments of Literature and played a crucial role in the development of recent theoretical works. Feminism, New Historicism, cultural materialism, Postcolonial theory, and queer theory all draw upon ideas ...
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Marxist thinking about culture has paved the way for much research and teaching in university departments of Literature and played a crucial role in the development of recent theoretical works. Feminism, New Historicism, cultural materialism, Postcolonial theory, and queer theory all draw upon ideas about cultural production that can be traced to Marx, and significantly each also has a special relation with Renaissance literary studies. Despite this, Marx's main ideas are seldom properly explained in works about Shakespeare and it is even claimed that they have lost their relevance. This paper aims to explicate the influences of Marxism on Shakespearians, and to suggest ways in which it can play a role in the future of politically engaged literary, dramatic criticism and cultural analysis.