Reason in religious and secular sciences (an assessment of Mirza Mahdi Isfahani's theory of human reason)

Reason and reasoning are highly important from the viewpoint of Quranic verses and traditions. Reason no doubt plays an unparalleled role alongside narrated sources in discovering religious truths. There are however different views concerning the nature of reason and the method of reasoning. According to Mirza Mahdi Isfahani the reason used by Quranic verses and traditions is different from the reason used in secular sciences. It is divine reason that is helpful in acquiring religious knowledge. Human reason, a faculty of soul, which generates acquired knowledge, is but an obstacle to obtaining divine knowledge. Divine reason is a beam of light that lies outside human beings. As something self-evident, it is not the same as soul which is not self-evident. This article explains this theory and shows that the arguments presented cannot substantiate the claim. [In addition], the theory is per se faced with many strong objections.