A Critique of Ghiasuddin Dashtaki's Perspective Compared to Ibn Sina’s on Proliferation of Unity
ali naghi
izadi
university of Khorasgan
author
Mahdi
Dehbashi
Department of Theology, Professor of theology at Islamic Azad University Isfahan -Khoresgan Branch, Iran
author
Hamed
Naji
Associate Prof. of Isfahan University
author
text
article
2020
per
Proliferation of unity is one of the most important and controversial topics among Islamic philosophers. Ibn Sina has made an attempt to rationalize this issue by relying on the principle of Al-Wahed. In his view, the modes in the first intellect lead to the creation of two other entities: the second intellect and the first heaven. In a detailed description, he considers three modes in the first intellect, according to which, after the creation of the second intellect, the second mode of the astral spirit and the third mode of the mass of the first heaven will be realized. In his view, the existence of different modes in the first intellect is not in conflict with the principle of Al-Wahed, since these numerous and multiple modes form the necessities of the first emanated existential order, not that they have necessarily been emanated from the necessary existence. This problem has had a great impact on post-Ibn Sina philosophers, inasmuch as some believe that Ibn Sina’s account on this issue is intermingled with various ambiguities and problems. One of these thinkers is Ghiasuddin Dashtaki. In his book (Al-amali), he points out the inadequacy of Ibn-e Sina's argument. The author makes use of the comparative analysis to explore and analyze Ibn-e Sina’s argument.
Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University
Shiraz University
2251-6123
19
v.
73
no.
2020
1
16
https://jrt.shirazu.ac.ir/article_5556_338132676ee2e3efd0d6491b97e5421c.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22099/jrt.2020.5556
A Comparative Analysis of Akhavan Al-Safa’s Theological Beliefs with Sharif al-Murtaza’s Viewpoints
(A case study: the most important discrepancies)
saeed
tofigh
university of isfahan
author
vajiheh
miri
university of isfahan
author
text
article
2020
per
During the Islamic Middle Ages, different religious groups were present in Baghdad and engaged in scientific activities. The scientific themes of some of these groups including the Akhavan Al-Safa and the Imami School of scholars and theologians were philosophical and theological. Although their scientific themes seem to be similar, a comparative analysis of their views demonstrates that there are fundamental and serious discrepancies in some cases.
Sharif al-Murtaza, who was the most prominent representative of the Baghdad school of Imami theologians and scholars, used an alternate method (direct and indirect criticism) to criticize the views of other schools. To criticize Akhavan Al-Safa’s theological views, he used indirect criticism.
Sharif Morteza falsified Akhavan Al-Safa’s views on the following important theological themes such as: the reincarnation of souls, the interpretation of prophets’ miracles, the denial of appeal, the absence of Imam al-Montazer, pilgrimage to the Imams, the mourning of Imam Husseini, the nature of the Quran, discovery of the mysteries of religion.
Akhavan Al-Safa and Sharif al-Murtaza’s theological differences should be sought in the following reasons: the eclectic nature of the Akhavan Al-Safa's 's views, their tendency to Sufism, and his own view of superiority of philosophy over religion. Nevertheless, due to the fact that both theological schools adopted a rationalist’s approach, and Akhavan Al-Safa pursued freedom of thought, they agreed on some theological issues. Finally, the Akhavan Al-Safa were defeated not only by both the school of theologians and scholars of Baghdad and the other theological sects because they disregarded the law governing survival and the publicity and decline of theological schools.
Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University
Shiraz University
2251-6123
19
v.
73
no.
2020
17
38
https://jrt.shirazu.ac.ir/article_5553_f9dd16bbea417e4da2e1ef747042f470.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22099/jrt.2020.5553
Social Contract Theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau through a Methodological Approach
Mojtaba
Javidi
Assist Prof. of Shiraz University
author
text
article
2020
per
The social contract theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been one of the main foundations of modern democracies and has inspired the Declaration of Human Rights. This article attempts to study the foundations of ontology, epistemology and anthropology of this theory through a descriptive-analytical method and a fundamental methodological approach and also investigates the relationship between these foundations and Rousseau's social contract theory. Based on the results of this article, ontology, subjectivity and the change in the relation between man and the world as well as secularism have led him to the social contract. Also, epistemologically, the essential bases of the social contract theory include pre-romanticism, separation from the sacred intellect and the replacement of the natural religion and official civil religion for Christianity. Likewise, in terms of anthropology, the belief in the intrinsic goodness of man is considered to be an important principle in Rousseau’s view of social contract. Rousseau is a philosopher of the modern era. Although from an epistemological point of view, he emphasizes emotion rather than reason, and in terms of anthropology, the emphasis is on the primitive man, free from the corruptions of science and civilization, these views do not exclude him from the framework of the Enlightenment.
Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University
Shiraz University
2251-6123
19
v.
73
no.
2020
39
64
https://jrt.shirazu.ac.ir/article_5554_c41ce265d93d30e01a29c7cd229f716a.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22099/jrt.2020.5554
Islamic Tradition and Authority of Religious Experience: An Analysis of Ghazali's Account of the Epistemic Status of Taste Compared to Alston's View on the Epistemic Legitimacy of the Religious Experience
Sayyed-Muhammad
Emadi-Haeri
Encyclopedia of the World of Islam, Tehran. Iran
author
Mihammad Mahdi
Alimardi
ریاست دانشکده ادیان
author
SayyedEbrahim
mousavi
Assistant Professor, Mofid university. Qom. Iran
author
text
article
2020
per
Citing religious experience to justify belief in God, and more importantly, gaining knowledge about God and His attributes and actions, is one of the important theories proposed in the analytical philosophy of religion in favor of theism and justification of belief in God. Relying on the authority of the religious experience and emphasizing its epistemic aspect, Alston attempted to define a basis for justifying belief in God and prove the validity of this type of experience by citing the similarities between religious experience and sensory experience. Contrary to Alston's theory, William James emphasizes the emotional aspect of religious experience and attends to its practical impact on improving the life of the experienced person. In his definition of religious experience, James referred to examples of the Islamic tradition and specifically to Ghazali's view. Rejecting James' views, some contemporary scholars argue that, religious experience has no definite meaning in the Islamic tradition, and that this kind of experience cannot be found in al-Ghazali's views. Likewise, Ghazali stresses that Alston's theory of religious experience has no representation in the Islamic tradition. In the present article, studying Ghazali's works indicates that what he referred to as "taste" can be a specific example of religious experience, and in particular, its epistemological aspect, and that in this respect, it is in full agreement with Alston's view.
Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University
Shiraz University
2251-6123
19
v.
73
no.
2020
65
78
https://jrt.shirazu.ac.ir/article_5555_49a7361d8dedde249bee6a6111cc05ff.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22099/jrt.2020.5555
Advocating Nagasawa's Defence of Anselm's Ontological Argument
Hamed
Ghadiri
Tarbiat Modares University
author
text
article
2020
per
Since its inception, Anselm's ontological argument has been controversial in its conception of God as well as its argument to prove the existence of God. Some critics of Anselm's conception of God hold that (1) Anselmian God (that than which nothing greater can be conceived) entails OmniGod (omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent being), but (2) OmniGod is impossible. Nagasawa, a contemporary philosopher of religion, contends that even if the second argument (2) were true, Anselm's argument would not be rejected, just because the first one (1) is false. According to Nagasawa, the reason that the first argument (1) is false is that Anselmian God entails MaximalGod (the being that has the maximal consistent set of knowledge, power, and benevolence) rather than OmniGod. First, this article shows that where Nagasawa's arguments presuppose scenarios in which OmniGod is impossible from a metaphysical point of view, He cannot be conceived. Second, it demonstrates that this claim has a fatal flaw and renders Nagasawa’s argument invalid. Finally, it argues that by an adjustment, i.e. accepting conceivability, this flaw can be remedied and Nagasawa’s argument re-established.
Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University
Shiraz University
2251-6123
19
v.
73
no.
2020
79
94
https://jrt.shirazu.ac.ir/article_5557_22cca036affdefb7772a25191a9ae9e0.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22099/jrt.2020.5557
The Critique of the Theory of Language Games in Second Wittgenstein
ABDOLLAH
MOHAMMADI
faculty member of IRIP
author
text
article
2020
per
Wittgenstein had two views about meaning and essence of language. The first view holds that there is a one to one correspondence between meaning and words and language use is considered equal to denomination. The second view links the meaning of words to their usage. Language is a social practice similar to participating in a game which requires that a person live in the language game so that they may understand the language and its rules. Language games have nothing in common and their rules are unique to them. Wittgenstein’s view is flawed: with regard to the nature of context, the role of intention and use in understanding and establishing meaning is ambiguous; the boundaries of language games are not clear and it is not clear where a game starts and ends. Being self-contradictory, his view is neither inclusive nor exclusive and has examples of repeated contradictions. In addition, this view leads to the rejection of meta-criterion in epistemology, which subsequently questions the validity of the theory itself. This view is also problematic in that it rules out the possibility that the players of two games can engage in communication.
Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University
Shiraz University
2251-6123
19
v.
73
no.
2020
95
116
https://jrt.shirazu.ac.ir/article_5558_b96c28fa001413d6871da6e5c2173499.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22099/jrt.2020.5558
The Nature of Religious Sciences in Al-Ghazali's Thought : A review of a Mystical Minimalism
Seyed Rahman
Mortazavi
Assist Prof. of ALameh Tabatabaie University
author
text
article
2020
per
Al-Ghazali , the first person in the Islamic world, who paid attention to theological sciences and tried to sketch its borders more than any other thinker. Al-Ghazali's efforts in this area were motivated by the danger that he sensed was threatening pure Islamic Sciences. This was the most important motive for beginning his comprehensive project “Revival of the Religious Sciences” (Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din), which involves a wide spectrum of efforts- from his battle with anti-religious and heretical trends to defining Islamic theology and denominating its kinds. These efforts simultaneously meant changes in the Islamic paradigm and discourse on Islamic theology, to the extent that the emergence of Al-Ghazali can be regarded as an inception for a new period in the exploration of Islamic theology. The trend in this period was particularly against rationalism and philosophy where the scholars made use of a Sufi-Sharia approach to proselytize a minimalistic vision to determine specific boundaries for special sciences which did not belong to the sphere of theological ones. In this context, only the sciences could be promoted and developed, which followed the path of the "righteous predecessor" and led the individual and society to prosperity in the hereafter.
Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University
Shiraz University
2251-6123
19
v.
73
no.
2020
117
130
https://jrt.shirazu.ac.ir/article_5559_98891cb768291fa9c4e1d170cbeef8af.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.22099/jrt.2020.5559