AIN E HIKMAT
Year:2012 | Volume:4 | Issue:13|Papers Count:7

Purgatorial perfection is an important problem in kalam, philosophy and mysticism which drew scholars' attention from the outset. On the basis of revealed sources perfection in hereafter is a possible and undeniable event but from philosophical position it does not make sense since perfection is a sort of motion and it is nothing but gradual change from potentiality to actuality, which involves matter as substratum for potency and disposition. After death man enters purgatorial world in which there is no matter and hence no potency and change and thus no perfection. In justifying the event scholars in the domain of rational sciences focus on the nature of soul which, though in coming into being is in need and makes use of corporeal body as a means for its perfection, can survive the body and continue to grow spiritually without any form of matter as it can take place even in this world in dream in which spirit receives effusions without body. It is worth noting that other-worldly and purgatorial perfection is different from worldly one, the former being intellectual and latter practical.

According to presupposition rule ascribing a quality to anything presupposes its subject. One instance of this rule is the ascription of being to quiddity which raise objections from early times among Islamic philosophers and received different answers. Having examined these arguments Mulla Sadra offered four responses to the above-mentioned problem: 1. This not the case for application of presupposition rule since existential proposition indicates the reality of something not a ascription of something to another. 2. The rule of presupposition applies only to the accidents of existence not to those of quiddities. 3. According to the fundamental reality of existence quiddity has no true reality so as to be subject to the presupposition rule. 4. Reason can consider quiddity as such devoid of any external or even mental subsistence therefore quiddity lacks any form of reality and cannot be a case for presupposition rule.

Plato and Farabi made attempts to design Ideal City for happiness of society. Both of them maintain that the real happiness of community depends on the pursuit of wisdom (philosophy). accordingly they hold that only philosopher –king is qualified to run such a society. Indeed what urged these two forerunners to design Ideal City is to live in the light of wisdom and rule of philosopher that contribute man to attain ascending journey and finally the pinnacle of perfection. Reflecting on the works of both Plato and Farabi, the present article is an attempt to explain the high status of wisdom and philosopher-ruler in Ideal City and then scrutinize the various forms of government envisaged by these two philosophers. The qualifications and characteristics that such a ruler should enjoy are also dealt with in the article which finally makes a comparison between these two great thinks.

Self-knowledge is regarded as a preamble to the knowledge of God in Islamic teachings. This idea was particularly emphasized by two forerunners of transcendent philosophy: Sadra Shirazi in 11th century and Allama Tabatabae in 14th. Although they shared the same epistemic aim, the two great thinkers had different approaches to the problem. In the thought of Mulla Sadra human soul has creative role as revealing God the Creator. To Tabatabae, knowledge of the self is an act of knowing dependent and relative entity concomitant with the knowledge of Independent Essence. This article is to answer the question which sort of knowledge leads to the presential knowledge of God. The conclusion made in light of transcendent principles of philosophy is that self-knowledge by presence can yield presential knowledge of God, for reality of knowledge is but a presence and existence.

The present article is to survey philosophical principles of ontology on which transcendent politics can be based in a basic method of its own. Fundamental reality of being, hierarchical nature of being, its goodness, simplicity as well as truthfulness, along with Unity of God in creation and legislation and any act can be listed as elements of transcendent politics. These principles can easily constitute a basic method for producing transcendent politics so as to explain socio-political life of human beings and guarantee their happiness both in this world and hereafter. Concepts such as self-respect, justice, freedom, wisdom, rule and sovereignty, authority and legitimacy can be materialized only on true understanding of such principles. These and corresponding epistemic dimensions can provide not illusory but true knowledge in the domain of political philosophy and make the society the locus for Divine manifestation.

On inner sense there are many problems in traditional psychology which are mainly ontological such as corporeality or incorporeality of inner senses, their number and the proof for the existence of each of them.In the present article one of the inner senses namely “estimation” is to be epistemologically studied. Necessity of such study is due to the crucial role of this faculty in the error of mind. Islamic philosophers including Ibn Sina, Suhrawardi and Mulla Sadra held it to be the source of faults of mind and gateway of Satan to deceive human for avoidance of which logic has been designed as a science that can prevent reason and mind from the interpositions of imagination and estimation. In spite of its importance and acknowledging its critical role in misguiding mind, the estimation faculty has not so far received sufficient attention. In view of the fact that epistemological problems are interconnected with ontological discussions this article is to examine first the nature of estimation from Sadra's viewpoint and then deals the way and reason why it leads mind to error.

The issue of Imamate can be treated with two worldly and heavenly approaches. Revealed sources of Holy Quran and Hadiths as the most importantorigins of theistic knowledge see the position of Imamate as higherthan worldly and conventional one and with an ontological view identify velayat or inner authority as themost important and progressive hallmarkof Imamate. Consulting and inspiring from revealed source philosophers and mystics attempted to give rational explanation for this peculiar status of Divine Vicegerency which is much higher than exoteric and conventional positions. According to these thinkers, Imam is always divine authority in the course of creation and endowed with esoteric capacity enabling him to change and control the course of events. Thisinner authority originates from his being Vicegerent of God and subject to his existentialstatus which is common aspect of both Prophecy and Imamate. The main feature of velayat is to enjoy the proximity to God, transcendent knowledge, pure and wholesome servitude which yield creative power and generative authority.