فصلنامه اندیشه دینی
پیاپی 30 (بهار 1388)

Presence of plurality and diversity in the definitions of religion doesn’t mean either non-productive theoretical endeavor of the previous researchers of religion or an impediment to continue through later researchers of religion. Significantly, attainment of their tenor and overcome upon their multiplicity are the things that are acquired through typology. The most prevalent typology, thus, from definitions of religion, is its separation on the basis of a Substantive or a Functional that was not being able to fully cover the existing and conceivable entities and consequently, another foundation was borrowed as a reductive or non-reductive. This diversification, apart from the above-mentioned help, provided opportunities and conditions for offering another definition of religion that enjoys larger coverage and conformity compared to the existing definitions. The religion as motivate and expresser of path and destination of transcendence, is the accepted definition of this article whose credence, apart from logical reasons, has been taken out from the interpretations of researchers about the religion.

Buber's thought. Like Wittgensteins, has seen some changes and developments during his philosophical life. The trend in Buber's intellectual development is divided into three periods namely Mysticism, philosophy of Realization, and Dialogical philosophy. This paper addresses some of the key concepts related to Hasidism from Buber's point of view. It then elaborates on the concept of "Eternal Thou". In the final conclusion of the article it is shown that according to Buber, our relationship to God has dialogical pantheism as its main characteristic. It is also shown that pantheism is not consistent with Iranian Islamic mystical thoughts.

In this paper, after some preliminary and historical remarks on the concept of metaphor, two recent philosophical analyses of metaphor (the interactive view and the causal view) will be introduced and critically analyzed. Then different functions of metaphor in relation to science will be discussed. The first function is to describe different aspects of scientific inquiry. The second function is to facilitate science education. The third function is to provide clues for scientific discoveries or to suggest ways of developing current theories. It will be argued that neither the interactive nor the causal view can explain this function of metaphor alone. A hybrid view is required to do this job. Finally, we will consider the suggestion that any model in science is a metaphor, and therefore doing science is a metaphorical activity in principle. It will be pointed out that this radical view does not hold for (at least) some scientific models.

One of the important subjects in Mulla Sadra's philosophy is the world of imagination. This subject has been a problematic one in Islamic philosophy. Some famous Muslim philosophers, including Ibn Sina, have denied the existence of such a world. Suhrawardi tried to prove its existence by rational arguments as well as his mystical unveiling. But he could not reject the objections against his attitude. Mulla Sadra, influenced by Suhrawardi, could establish a firm foundation for the existence of the imaginal World in his philosophy. Indeed he is the first philosopher who could represent an orderly philosophical discussion concerning the Imaginal World. He has given several arguments proving the existence of both contiguous and discontiguous imaginal worlds. In this paper, first we will explain the Imaginal World from Mulla Sadra's viewpoint and mention some subjects which can be explained only by the existence of the world of descendent Imagination. Then we will discuss the relation between the world of ascendant imagination and immateriality of the faculty of imagination which is one of the Mulla Sadra's important innovations. By proving the immateriality of this faculty, he could solve many problems concerning bodily resurrection and could prove the existence of isthmus worlds in the ascendant arch.

One of the basic issues ever debated has been the rational behind the genesis and why Allah has created man and other beings. Generally, two fundamental questions could be posed here: Has the creator of the universe pursued a certain goal in His acts? And, does the universe as the creation and Allah's acts follow a certain purpose? The former indicates the creator's goal and the latter indicates the act's goal. Various schools in theology (Kalam), philosophy and mysticism (Gnosticism) have provided different answers to the above- mentioned questions. Some have entirely denied the presence of a certain goal in divine acts and creation of the beings. In contrast, some others admit the presence of such a purpose and there are still others who accept its presence but only in some acts and deny its generality and necessity. This paper has investigated the issue from Quranic viewpoint according to which the goal of the creation the universe (Vs. man) is the man., the heavens, the earth and whatever within them are created for the sake of man, i. e., the perfect man who is at the pinnacle of truly divine obedience. The rationale behind the creation of the perfect man is the essence of Allah and He created perfect man for Himself; therefore, it could generally be held that divine rationale of creation is His unique essence.

In recent centuries, epistemology has become one of the fundamental subjects of philosophy and has developed deeply. Islamic philosophy, like all other philosophies before it, has had an ontological approach to the nature of knowledge instead of an epistemological one. Although Mulla Sadra is not an exception in this approach, in his philosophy but we can find some deep discussion in the nature of knowledge and its different kinds. Reviewing contemporary epistemology and the way of correspondence of mental and external objects of knowledge, we shall try to give a perspective of epistemology in the Transcendental Wisdom, based on Mulla Sadra's and his commentator's viewpoints.