Philosophy of religion
Year:2013 | Volume:10 | Issue:2 (15) |Papers Count:7

Today, it is necessary to determine the frontiers of sciences and to specify the weight of new knowledges, as new science or continuation of the same former science. Scholars have different viewpoints about the relationship between “Traditional Kalam” and “New Kalam”. On the one hand, some hold that they are separate sciences with two different natures that differ from each other in all sides, even subject and goal; and on the other hand, most Scholars believe that there is no difference in nature between them and they maintain that “New Kalam” is continuation of “Traditional Kalam” and it's Stage of perfection, in some or all sides. This essay emphasizes the difference between “New Kalam” and “New Theology” and different origin of them, as well as it examins and criticizes “New Kalam” approaches in a scientific and logical method and tries to reach a theory that is more close to right. Finally, the result of this effort is to selection the theory of the similarity between “New Kalam” and “Traditional Kalam” in nature, but renewal of “kalam” occurs in some sides.

This article is going to provide a solution for the issue of conflict between reason and faith from Mulla Sadra and Averroes’s (Ibn Roshd) viewpoint. Both of them believe that there is no any real conflict between reason and faith; but a superficial one. So for solving this apparent conflict they appealed to interpretation and they find no way unless interpretation. With determining and counting off of principles for the interpretation and its result - i.e. peaceful coexistence of different religions and religious philosophers and theologians - Averroes has presented a new idea. On the other hand, Mulla Sadra with emphasizing on the principles like: “Existentialism and hierarchical system of Being”, “substantial motion”, and “unification of wise and Reason with object”, has explained the necessity of interpretation in general. The basis of Averroes’s works is a kind of Rationality, while Mullah Sadra leans on philosophical and mystical issues.

Beside intellectual and intuitional proofs for the existence of God, there are “empirical proof” that are clearer and more conceivable for ordinary peoples. the present article is going to analyses Allameh Tabatabayi and the twenty century western scholar's empirical proofs for the existence of God.So moreover evaluating the values of both ones, we will explain their differences and similarities. “Design argument”, “coming into existence” (hoduth) and the argument which is depend on “evolution theory”, are considered as both Allameh and western thinkers'' similarities; although both of them have special reasoning in this field. And about their differences we shall say that what Western philosophers understand from Hoduth argument, is only “coming into existence in time” (hoduth zamani), and merely uses about world, while what Allamah understand from it, is a “causality hoduth” in three different sphere of world, soul and bodies. “Motion proof” and abstract characteristics of Physics in twentieth century are known as Allameh and western scholars'' special reasoning.

Ein al- Quzat believes that Faith has a hierarchical degree of weakness and Strength. From his viewpoint Faith is the subject of heart and verification, a verification with acting in accordance with the commands of religion (shariah) and for kindness to the others. In his view, the lowest degree of faith is obedience from religious commands and preventing from what he banned for human being; and the highest degree of faith is the knowledge of this reality that “there is no God but Allah”. He believes that attaining to the essence of faith and an experience from love needs Abrahamian faith. In his works, Ein al-Quzat has Beautiful explanations from essence of faith and uses great notions like: love, meeting Lord, self-knowledge and unity of being. Although a true believer is absorbed into God, but he lives in society and Interacts with others. This important point that is conclusion of true faith, is called “Affirmation after obliteration”.

The idea of relation between religions is one of important subjects in comparative religion, philosophy of religion and new theology. In this respect, from one hand the theory of plurality and diversity of religions, and on the other hand globalization, which is one of outcomes of our modern world, has lead human beings on some new attitudes about relation of religions like: exclusivism, pluralism and inclusivism. Frithjof Schuon and other Traditionalists believe in ''The supreme Unity of Religions''. According to him there is a real unity between religions which is internal and supreme. with emphasizing on Divine origin of religion and distincting between form and substance of religion ( whether it is exoteric or esoteric), and with applying useful concepts and keys such as ''absolute and relative'' he concludes that diversity of religions is an effect of differentiations of inspirations and it's compatibility with human beings capacity. In his metaphysical view point, diversity of the sacrifice forms is not an obstacle for real unity of religions in highest degree of existence, and Although the majority of human beings, or at least advocates of exotericism cannot realize this supreme unity; but theosophies who have gnostic or esoteric thought, will realize the internal and supreme unity of religions through intellectual intuition and spiritual.

According to the theistic view, revelation and reason are two consistent categories; because both of them have driven from the same root that is source of existence and all attributes of perfection. So moslem philosophers with appealing to this theistic issue have efforted to prove the consistency of reason’s outcomes with pure content of SHARIĀT. One of the greatest issues that Mullah_Sadra has tried to prove it’s consistency with religion, especially with Islamic Shariat, is Immateriality of the soul. He believes that the former''s arguments in this respect are certain; because they are in accord with both his philosophical foundations (like “corporeal in generation and spiritual in perpetuity”), and with religious doctrines (verses or narratives in realm of religion). Immateriality and independence of soul have relationship with the most important topics of world-view. The subject of Theism, prophecy and especially resurrection, have direct connection with self-realization. In so far as only with affirmation of immateriality and independence of the soul from body, belief in resurrection and gathering day will be plausible. Although there are controversies among philosopher about the idea of independence of soul from body. in this article we will set it forth for discussion.

As we know, it is emphasis at the history of the world that praxis has a basic role in human being's nurturing. in Islamic thought it is supported with some philosophical principles and interpretational ways. Some of this principles are as follow: “the unification if body and soul”, “corporeality of body in its generation and its spirituality in perpetuity “, “unity of actuality and potentiality in human soul”. In Islamic thought Knowledge and praxis are both substantial and human leader. Moreover human action in Islam is the sign of human personality and according to Quranic literature, action has an internal identity.