FALSAFEH (THE IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY)
Year:2015 | Volume:42 | Issue:2|Papers Count:8

The present article considers why Plato, in definitional conversations, finally don’t give a definitive answer to the question which is introduced in this class of conversations, and why these conversations are ended to aporia. For this purpose, first, we seek the etymology of this term, and then, it is concluded that, aporia means a trouble, in which the characters of the conversations, in finding answer of question, get themselves. Then. It is shortly considered that whether or not the aporia is the result of the method used in this class of conversations, i.e. elenchus. Moreover, several options are proposed in relation to the interpretation of aporia. In the final analysis of aporia, it is expressed that this situation is a reflection of the intellectual and philosophical situation in Greece, which Plato echoes in the definitional conversations.

One of the greatest philosophers of western tradition, Spinoza, in Ethics, explained the nature of passions and presented some cures for them. George Eliot, a great novelist in the nineteenth century and the translator of Spinoza’s works, was strongly influenced by Spinoza’s philosophy and of course in some cases surpassed him. In this essay, I try to explain that although in the case of cures for passions, she was influenced greatly by Spinoza; she thought differently and got rather different result. The main difference between them about this issue is an important one. It opens the way to freedom which Spinoza’s philosophy has found it very difficult to pass. I will explain their views according to Spinoza’s Ethics and the Lifted Veil of Eliot. Spinoza thought that the attaining to intuitive knowledge and intellectual love of God is the main cure for passions and the way to freedom. However, it seems Eliot did not accept it and presented another explanation.

Although Emanuel Kant has considerable writings in social and political philosophy, his ideas in this area have not been taken serious, and in fact they were overshadowed by his theoretical philosophy, as well as by Hegel's socio-political philosophy. To understand the place and importance of Kant's social and political ideas, it is necessary to read them in comparison with his predecessors’ views. In this article we intend to review Kant's social and political philosophy in line with the ideas of Jean Jacques Rousseau, especially his concept of "general will". In this framework we will see how Kant proceeded and succeeded to develop Rousseau's social and political philosophy to a more maturity. We will then demonstrate how Kant, influenced by Rousseau, provided a radical versio of "autonomous will" and transformed external legislation into "self-legislation", in fact by overcoming the inconsistencies within Rousseau's socio-political philosophy; Kant opened a new chapter in the field of social and political philosophy.

The present paper discusses the priority of cognitive processes over language production of the speaker, based on Mulla Sadra’s philosophy of language. In this regard, the conditions of perceiving knowledge as well as the process of language production of the speaker are propounded. Mulla Sadra believes that knowledge is perceived through a process in which human soul is an active agent rather than a passive one. Language to him is manifesting of the speaker’s interior. Again, the speech depends on the speaker as an action depends on the agent performing it. The cognitive process of language through an arc of descent is performed by the speaker’s human soul. Through analysis of Mulla Sadra’s explaining his theory, it is concluded that: Although Mulla Sadra maintains the idea that the cognitive process happens before the language production, he disagrees with a fixed and certain cognitive structure to be imposed on the speaker. Furthermore, he opposes merely an introspective language process without a relation to the external world as well to other people. Moreover, he holds the belief that the intellectual perception is not a transcendent concept to inject language into the passive human mind.

Foundational principle of Spinoza’s theory about Happiness is his new conception of non-personal God. In this way, he begins with recognizing the reasons of anthropomorphism and criticizes the personal God. In this article by conceptual systematism method, these critiques have been discussed. In Spinoza’s view the first reason of anthropomorphic conceptions is insufficient ideas about God. Spinoza by criticizing the idea of “creator God” and “creatio ex nihilo”, refuses the attributes of intellect, will and wisdom (having end in action) from God, and thereby concludes that ethical properia as good and bad and emotional effections do not fit to God.

In this article, the author deals with the critical study of Rorty and Gadamer's doctrines on truth through analyzing its undesirable epistemological and political consequences. Rorty denies truth and believes that it is merely the indicator of sentences specification. But Gadamer does not deny truth and believes it is as event of appearance which flourishes from within the dialogue and man enjoys the truth according to the tradition in which he has been, but in a limited, dynamic and historical way. Although Gadamer and Rorty's doctrines in the interpretation and admission of truth are different,the face similar epistemological and political consequences that are the opposite of what they want: epistemological relativism, irrationalism, denial of critical idea, refusal of reformism, refusal of dialogue, violence and putting at risk rational freedom.

The hermeneutic circle articulated by different hermeneuticans in various versions is one of the basic problems in modern hermeneutics. Romanic hermeneutics introduced the circle as a methodological principle, but in philosophical hermeneutics the circle has ontological dimensions and regards as a process of understanding. Heidegger believes that hermeneutic circle reflects Dasein’s existential constitution and Gadamer sees it as a description of mechanism of understanding. Each of these conceptions require entering specific factors in to the circle and expects special functions from it. In this article different narratives and conceptions of circle is discussed then we use an analytic approach to study functions and elements of circle in four levels: We attempted to articulate function and elements of the circle in discriminative levels. The first level consists in understanding and interpretation of text, which is based on philological function of the circle. The second level includes a process of revision and review of pre-understanding and prejudice. Self-understanding another function of the circle is inspected in the third level. The fourth level scrutinized effecting in effective history that is another function of hermeneutic circle.