Taʿdhīr and the Challenge of Truth-Acceptance in a Networked World: A Philosophical-Theological Analysis Based on Transcendent Theosophy

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. student of Qur'an and Hadith Sciences, Department of Islamic Studies and Philosophy, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Fasa Branch, Fasa, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies - Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Qur'an and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This study, adopting a philosophical–theological approach grounded in the principles of “Transcendent Theosophy (Ḥikmat al-Mutaʿāliya)”, explores the phenomenon of ‘taʿdhīr’ (self-excusing) and the challenge of truth-acceptance within the networked lifeworld. The main problem is how the multiplicity of narratives and the dominance of intelligent algorithms, instead of strengthening collective rationality, lead to the expansion of epistemic veils and the passivity of both theoretical and practical reason in confronting truth. The study aims to identify the existential and epistemological roots of truth-avoidance in the context of digital and networked societies and to propose a philosophical framework for reconstructing the human’s substantial motion toward truth. Methodologically, it employs an analytical–critical design, combining interpretive analysis of Ṣadrian philosophical and theological texts with empirical data and case studies drawn from the domains of health, politics, and religion. The findings indicate that taʿdhīr in the networked world is not merely a psychological or technological phenomenon but a socio-epistemic condition arising from a deficiency in existential education and the obstruction of the path toward the unity of the intellect and the intelligible. Based on the principles of Transcendent Theosophy (Ḥikmat al-Mutaʿāliya), restoring the capacity for truth-acceptance requires reform on three levels: purification of the soul and rational cultivation, enhancement of philosophical–media literacy for critical engagement with competing narratives, and establishment of epistemic and institutional mechanisms within the networked lifeworld. This interdisciplinary framework opens new horizons for the philosophy of religion and the reconstruction of faith-based rationality in confronting contemporary epistemological and ontological crises.

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