PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION RESEARCH (NAMAH-I HIKMAT)
Year:2009 | Volume:6 | Issue:2 (12)|Papers Count:9

Avicenna's S.edd-iq-in demonstration is regarded as one of the most acceptable arguments for proving the existence of God. Being a demonstratio propter quid (al- burh-an al- inn-i) or demonstratio quia (al- burh-an al- limm-i) is a known challenge on this argument. According to some famous readings of Avicenna's expressions, demonstratio quia does not lead us to certainty and therefore is useless for proving the existence of God. On the other hand, there is no way to prove the existence of God using demonsteratio propter quid because God does not have any cause. Some scholars for getting rid of this problem claimed that this argument is an especial kind of demonstratio quid that the conclusion is proved by common dependencies (al- mul-azim-at al-،-ammah) and so gives us certainty. Some other scholars believe that this argument is quasi demonstratio propter quid (shibh al- limm) and there are some scholars that take it as a demonstratio propter quid. This article attempts to defend this argument as a demonstratio quia. Avicenna regarded the conclusion of demonstratio quia certain although there is a kind of inconsistency in Avicenna's words in the realm of theological demonstration generally and S.edd-iq-in demonstration in particular. Regarding this demonstration as demonstratio quia or demonstratio propter quid it is possible to remove this inconsistency applying Avicenna's philosophical principles.

To research the backgrounds and influential factors in formation of Bible is a subject very important from histo - cultural and kalam – theological aspect in understanding the essence of this book. It is claimed that the fountainheads for forming scripture are Hebrew-Judaic and Greece- Hellenistic traditions and Christianity itself. But using historical analysis and etymology of these two tradition show that there are other factors which are forgotten in religious researches, and also reveal the cultural and spiritual mixture of these two tradition which was effective in forming the historical destiny of considering the results of extending of these factors opens a new field of research that the appearance of hermeneutic stream of scripture is one its branches. The main target of this paper is surveying the transformation of religious understanding in Christianity and its relation to early cultural and religious events in early centuries A.D.

The present paper, first and foremost, is an attempt towards presenting reasons for the inseparable existing of God in Whitehead’s cosmology, considering the basis of Whitehead’s Process Cosmology, view of organist, world as process, interrelated of all entities, bipolarity of entities, theory of prehension, interaction of all the creatures.The second step taken here considers analyzing Whitehead’s interpretation, in which he introduces God as an actual entity being subject to the categories of this process cosmology. The third step taken in the paper, considering Whitehead’s organist view, is an attempt to analyze the mutual interaction of God and universe and their bilateral impact on one another. The last step taken focuses on Whitehead’s fundamental claim that” God as an actual entity is not an exception to the other entities, but subject to the categories of process cosmology”. Therefore, this part of the article analyzes this claim and presents criticisms and challenges dealing with it.

Young Hegel, who is the heir of Enlightenment and Kantian religion, presents a new sight of religion which is multi-sided criticism of Kantian religion. Hegel believes that Kantian religion is not issued from human totality.Hegel names his religion as Subjective which issues from the depth of spirit, and its opposite is Objective Religion which is product of intellectual concepts. Hegelian subjective religion is not concerned with individual immortality of spirit, and spiritual perfection is attained in this world, in resemblance and unity with God.In expression of religion truths, Hegel believes that we are confronted with language poverty because: the first, God is not like other existences and the second, spirit is realized only by spirit, and who is to realize God with intellect only, would be unable to realize and thus express Him.For realizing God, the one's spirit should be advanced and go from its limited being to being without limitation.In sociopolitical mode, religion function is influenced from the religion of maximal crowd; if they were believers they would live in love and unity with each other; but if not, the believers would be severed from live relations with community. Jesus himself selected severance also for this reason and had relation with few persons in order to nurture their good spirit.Finally, in order to ripen the unity of believers community - which are united by love - and unified with objectivity, it requires to an element which unifies subject (love) and object (person); this element is imagination. Imagination which is both related with spirit and feels the person, who is actually divine, can realize the relation between love and object, and complete the unity.

In his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Wittgenestein has some remarks on the nature of laws of nature. His main concern is to connect genuine laws of nature with logic. To illuminate and explain this connection, we suggest a distinction between two kinds of laws (inspired by Wittgenestein himself). On the one hand, general laws of nature (e.g. law of conservation) restrict applicability of other laws of nature. According to Wittgenstein, although we do not know whether these laws are true or not a priori, we know their logical forms in advance, and this fact is enough to guarantee a connection between these laws and logic (we know logical truths in advance as well). On the other hand, first order laws of nature (e.g. Newton's laws) have limited scope of applicability. Wittgenstein treats these laws as logical patterns with the ability to classify propositions about the world. As long as we take first order laws as nets with this ability, and dismiss their factual content, the connection between them and logic is obvious again. Having made this distinction, we go to consider the situation of two principles: induction and causation. It will be showed that according to Wittgenestein, there is no connection between these two and logic, and therefore these so-called laws are not among genuine ones. The next step is to compare Wittgenestein's account of laws with Poincare's conventionalism. Despite some similarities, it will be argued that the former cannot be taken seriously by a scientist or a philosopher of science who takes experimentation important in science.

After Islamic Philosophy had been confronted with Western Philosophy in the 20th century, the topic knowledge by presence has gained more importance. This is because it provides a new account for Islamic philosophers in epistemology. By the use of this type of knowledge they have the possibility to prove the plausibility of Metaphysics and can defend a realistic account of episteme. One form of knowledge by presence which has been neglected, is the present knowledge of the body. Nevertheless on the ground of the philosophy of Mulla Sadra, there is no doubt that this knowledge is a kind of knowledge by presence. This article tries to overcome absolute idealism by the use of present knowledge of the body and to prove the existence of the outside world. Therefore it states the definition and proof of present knowledge of the body at the beginning and then deals with two kinds of idealism.

This present study is related to explaining of Descartes about human spirit using his logical demonstration; Descartes tries to describe one of the principal contexts in his writings, in fact, confirmation of existence origin. The reasons that he presents are not theological.In his opinion, belief in God in human is natural, and it is arising from his tendency to idealism. In his view, God is an infinite substance. Although he presents a mechanical explanation from material universe, but his cordial belief guide him to a spiritual surrender and a deep tranquility against the will of God.