Systemic Picture of Suhrawardi’s Epistemology

The present writing tries to provide a systemic picture of Suhrawardi’s epistemology. As for other Muslim philosophers, epistemology has not been the Suhrawardi’s main concern; it seems, however, that if we look for in his books and works, we may manage to infer an epistemological system. Thus, Suhrawardi’s epistemology, which has been founded with the help of “illumination”, is, by definition, a systemic one or, at least, a systemic explanation of it may be provided. In other words, his epistemic discussions consist of a demonstrative and defendable system having consistent foundations and parts which, in turn, fulfill his objectives and perform functions he has specified. When faced by host of intellectual problems, it may classify them and provide solutions for them. In this epistemology, foundations of knowledge (knower, knowledge, and the known object) have been exactly specified and similarity between them has been explained. Also, Suhrawardi has paid due attention to the main problems of epistemology such as quiddity of knowledge, possibility of knowledge, solving the problems of skepticism and relativism, criterion for knowledge, sources and tools of knowledge, kinds and levels of knowledge, the relation between subject and object, solving the problem of mental existence, limits of knowledge, possibility of evidence and its criterion, certainty and its ultimate limit, the impact of non-epistemic factors on knowledge, the process in which knowledge comes into existence. Also, in Suhrawardi’s epistemology, one may see that due attention has been paid to some minor or new matters or matters probably relevant to epistemology. As for such matters, we may mention truth and justification, definition and its conditions, possibility of man’s knowledge of other minds, possibility of man’s knowledge of God, implication. In various respects such as being methodological, having an end, inclusion, coherence, applicability and the like, Suhrawardi’s epistemological system is considered as a desired one, though it is open to critiques.