خردنامه ، شماره 1

Hikmat - al - Arshia

But, this, also, does not satisfy the Hakim, so he appeals the wisdom of Throne (Hikmat - al - Arshia). In this period of perfection, what he seeks, is the knowledges of perfection, hence the name "Fi- al - ulum - al - Kamaliya" for "Almazaher - al - Ilahiya".

If in the earliest definitions, Hikmat is to give intelligible order to the world to the extent of human possibility in order to gain "resemblance" to the Divine; this time, it is defined as an "intelligible system", which, actually, takes the man (and his soul) to God. For the Hakim - e - Arshi (the sage of the Divine), the true Hikmat is one which is originated from Revelation and sent for man by the Absolute Hakim. The Holy Quran is described as Hakim, and does not speak except by sound speeches and does not talk except of truths - which Hikmat, Hakim, philosophy and philosopher are seeking for them.

This rational and innate thinking of Mulla Sadra who was enamoured of the Holy Quran, Revelation and Hadith of Impeccable ones - took him to the Holy Quran and Hadith, all at once. His method of thinking was changed, and he did not seek the truth except in the Revelation and God's utterance. This method is quite apparent in the works of the last period of his life.

First - He began to comment the Hadith, and to do this, he consulted with the most original book in Shi'ite Hadith -i.e. Kolleiny Osoule Kafi-which contains the Roots and Branches of Islamic Thought, and in this, he chose the Roots (Osoul - e - kafi) in order to find the extract of the truth of theoritical Hikmat. His death did not allow him to bring his own book to an end. But, in this way, the greatest and most important book in commentary on the Hadith, came into existence.

Second - Though, before arrival at Shiraz,Mulla Sadra, had commented the Holy Quran in a philosophical manner and from point of view of Hikmat, and had written some treatises in commentary on the Holy Quran; but this time, he sought to write a complete course in commentary, so he began to comment the Fatiha and the Baqara chapters. In order to write a complete course in scientifical and philosophical commentary on the Holy Quran, he wrote other works which may be considered as general principles of commentary on the Holy Quran. Among them are Mafatih - al - Gheyb (the keys to unseen) and Muteshabeh - al - Quran.

Third - The books, he wrote in Shiraz, seem to be more adorned with the Holy Quran and Hadith. They are closer to the Quranic commentary on the philosophy, than the philosophical commentary on the Holy Quran. In this system of thinking, God,s utterance and religious knowledges are considered to be the main foundation, so that it can be proved that, the Revelation, Islam and the Holy Quran have a whole philosophical system, which can help the man, and keep him from going astray.

Mulla Sadra's attitude to this method of thinking - which is quite apparent in his works - was probably observed in his teaching plan. As a rule, he could not spend his own time and his students' time to teach the well - known texts of Peripatetic philosophy; and he did only teach Asfar, and the other his own books.

Mulla Sadra return from retirement to Shiraz reminds us of the fourth Safar (journey) of four journeys (Asfar - al - Arba'a), and shows his return from journeys - the journey from the creature to the Divine Truth (min al - Khalq ila'l - haqq), the journey in the Divine Truth by the Divine Truth (bi'l haqq Fi,l haqq), and the journey from the Divine Truth to the creature with the Divine Truth (min al - haqq ila'l - khalq bi'l - haqq). It also reminds us of the other great historcal journey - i.e. return of the Prophet (S.A.W) from Medina to Mecca, birthplace of the Prophet. A journey, in which, by God's help, the idols became broken and polytheists were put to flight.

Circumstances in Shiraz

Some evidences show when he returned to Shiraz, conditions were different from past.And at this time, Mulla Sadra had been in a situation, slanderous ones could not backbite. Scholars, theologicians and traditionists who were flattering and depending on the court,were kept aloof.

When Mulla Sadra left Shiraz, he had no child; or, perhaps, he had an infant. Now, he had returned with a son - in - law like Feydh, and a son like Mulla Ibrahim (Sixteen years old) and, altogether, with five children, sons or daughters.

If then, he did not know the people of his time, and sought of them unanimity, now he was hopeless of them, and hated the unanimity of the people of opinion.

Around him, he couldn't see but a few loyal friends and his own dear children.

In his heart, he had found valuable treasures, not so many people attained them, but he could not find a bazaar, to offer his expensive treasures.

As Mulla Mushen Fayd writes:

"Again, since he had been ordered to shift from Qom to Shiraz, and stay there, and as the Holy Quran says." If you complete ten, it will be of your own accord"^ \ I went to Shiraz [and stayed there] for two other years, and lived in his service, and enjoyed much of his knowledges." it can be seen that Mulla Sadra, had begun to teach, as soon as he entered Shiraz.

Because of the Mulla Sadra's Islamic and philosophical achievments in the fourties of 11th century - the years of the last staying of Mulla Sadra, in Shiraz -, the French researcher, Henry Corbin believes that the development of this school in Shiraz, by Mulla Sadra, must be considered as the beginning of foundation of a school, called Shiraz school, against Isfahan one.

1 - The Holy Quran, Al - Ghessas Chapter, the Verse 27.

abstracts

Avicenna's Opinions on the soul

By J.Khaleqian

Motivated by Comparing Avicenna's opinions with Descartes', the author has paid attention to Avicenna's opinion on the major issues of the soul ; and in this way , besides defining the soul and explaining its "otherness " and its separation from corporeality and body ; issues such as , how to prove it , its substantiality and its independence from the body , " the man's presential knowledge of his soul" , and faculties of the soul are discussed.

Hume's Doctrine on the Origin of

Imaginations from Transcendent

Philosophy Point of view

By S.m.Hakkak

The author believes that all the transcendent philosophers agree with Hume on this fact, that the man's knowledge is obtained by the senses contact with the objects, and before this contact, the mind has no imagination. But, in these philosophers' doctrine, there are many differences with Hume's. Apart from the "forms in sensation", or in Hume's words, "impressions'", they divide all the other perceptions into three kinds: forms in imagination, first intelligibles and second intelligibles. And except the forms in imagination, they don't consider two other kinds, deriven from the forms in sensation; and unlike Hume, they don't consider universal conceptions, which are among the first intelligibes, and concepts such as causuality and substance, which are among the second intelligibles, as imaginary, at all.

Instead, they consider them, particularly the second intelligibles, as the most important man's conceptions and imaginations, implying to the external world.

Sense Experience and its Relation to Universality and Induction

By Dr Ahmad Ahmadi

In this article, and with an epistomological approach, the philosopher, presents a new and strange explanation about the nature of experience, formation and origination of experience, and construction of "the universal" in mind. In light of his doctrine, he disprove well-knoun doctrines, such as Karl Poppeirs falifiablity doctrine and Kant's doctrine. He challenges the common definition of "the universal" and believes that many issues, such as the experimental knowledge, the criterion of truth and induction, will find new forms. According to him the experimental knowledge is resulted from the first sensing contact with the external

object, together with the identity principle.

The first experienec will have essential, natural, existential, causual and effectual validity; and it is the cornerstone of experimental knowledge. According to him. the criterion of truth in sense and experience, is sense-organs, in the first step. And in contrary with common definition, induction never proves a universal proposition.

Causuality in Mulla Sadra's Primacy of

Existence

By Musa Ahrami

Employing conceptions such as "philosophical second intelligibles", "possibility of poverty", "connective being" and "illuminative relation", the author seeks to explain the causality in Sadr -al- Muteallehin's existential frame.

And connecting the causuality to the gradation of existence (Tashkik al wujud), he affirms that, firstly, it can be accpted that possible entities are the source of effect and, secondly, being the source of effect and exercising the power is because of the existential mode of possible entities and thirdly, the original and final source of this is the Absolute Necessary.

With this attitude, according to the author, suspicions of essentialists and those who deny the correlation between the effect and cause can be answered.

Similarly, the suspicions of poeple, such as Ash'arites about the contradiction between the secondary causes and the absolute existence of God can be answered. And those who specified the refutation of causuality as the foundation of thair loose belief in freedom, can'be withsood. And the order of the nature system as the possible world, can be proved and accepted.

Hoduth Dahri and Substantial

Movenent in Two Different

Philosophical Systems

By Dr.Maqsood Mohammadi

1- One of the most difficult problems for metaphysics is the problem of contingency or pre-etenality of the world. Since, in fact, this problem propounds a theological paradox: on the one hand, since the first origin (the Exalted God) is the complete cause for the world, and the being of the effect isn't separable from the cause, so the world of being must be, also, pre-eternal. But, on the other hand, the Exalted God is efficient cause, and has brought the world from privation to existence, with His Knowledge and Will, so, the exintence of the world is posterior to, privation'; and it is contingent.

2- Theologists select the second choice. They consider the world, temporally contingent. But, philosophers consider the world of being (non - material and supra - temporal beings and phenonena), eternal.

Although they say "the possible existents are essentially contingenf'.i.e. because of their essence, they recieve existence from the cause, but at the same time, they have simultaneity with the origin of the world; and they are considered of the same level with it. Primacy of the Exalted Necessity over the world is an intellectual issue, not objective and separable one. And so, the religious scholars have accused them to disbelief and atheism.

3- Mir-Damad has stablished the theory of Hoduth Dahri as a solution for this problem.

According to this theory, abstract and supra - tenporal beings have been occured in Dahr, i.e. supra-time.

In the other words, according to Mir-Damad, abstract and Supra -temporal beings have been created in a conainer (Ve'aa) of Dahr, i.e. the simple and discontinuous time, that can be taken as supra - time. But, the Exalted God is in Ve, aa-e- Sarmad, and He is eternal. So, primacy of the Exalted God over the world of being is objective and separable, because the possible things haven't been in Sarmad and they are contingent (in Dahr).

4- But, it must be noted that this theory can be used only in a philo_

sophical system, bound to essentialism. And so, in Sadra-al-Muteallehin philosophy, which is bound to existantialism, there is no room for this theory. Hence, Sadr-al - Muteallehin has solved this problem by "temporal contingecy", based on the theory of "substantial movement". But, since the substantial movement is flowing only in material and natural things, so he had to consider the intellectual and abstract beings and phenomena as God's necessary attributes, and consider them, together with the essence of the Exalted Good, eternal.

Programs o£ the world

phenomenology Institute for 2OOO

Combrdge, Massachsetls, USA

PHENOMENOLOGY AND LITERATURE: April 26 and 27, 2000. The Visible and the Invisible in literature and philosophy"

1) Literature's quest for the hidden, 'true' reality

2) Inspiration and its search for expression

3) Cipher, metaphor, image, vision Abstracts by: December 1, 1999 Papers by: March 15, 2000

PHENOMENOLOGY. FINE ARTS AND AESTHETICS: April 28,

29 and 30, 2000. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Mirrors of Infinity: Gardens in East and West Philosophers, poets, Musicians, singers, painters, lovers in the gardens of enchantment from early to contemporary inspirations.

1) The Microcosm reflecting the Macrocosm in gardens. The four elements: water, fire, air and earth.

2) The role of mythology in gardens. The expansion of time and space.

3) Metamorphoses.

4) From a closed to an open universe. Rubens: the Farm st. Laecken. Here, Nature in its entirety, the rolling open vastness of space, opening up to infinity.

5) Shifting perspectives.

6) Geometric perspectives.

7) The obsession with labyrinths.

8) The sweet joy of life, i.e. Georgion's Concert Champetre: the Fetes Galantes.

9) The relation of man to nature as perceived in tapestries, porcalain: etchings, paintings, operas...

10) Life's unity as perceived in gardens.

11) The significance of gardens in Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka's philosophy.

12) Mirrors of self- deceit.

- Phenomenological Praxeology in the Interpretation of Fine Arts.