A Critical Study of Human Final Perfection in Khwajeh Nasir`s Philosophical and Mystical System

Human`s first perfection is known as his understanding soul, which is essential for his being human, and human`s second perfection are such perfections as knowledge and power. It should, however, be stated that sensation, imagination, intellection and other actions and interactions, as well as all things that occur after humanity, are also known secondary perfection of the human kind. In the article ahead, the human`s ultimate perfection, being of the second type of perfections, is a complement for an order beyond which no perfection may be possible for human being. The view of Khwaje Nasir al-Din Tusi on the ultimate perfection of man is meaningful through two seemingly different approaches found in his philosophical system and his mystical system. In the former, the ultimate perfection of man is in the form of rational evolution and may be known as the flourishing of theoretical reason. A man who has reached his theoretical intellect at the highest level, would attain the highest degree of happiness (aqli mustafad). In the latter, however, which may be taken as the continuation of the former, he views the ultimate perfection of man as being the present observation of God. Entering the path of perfection, the human soul goes beyond the rational perfection, forgets himself/herself completely, sees nothing but God, and attains unity. At the end of this article, we will give some considerations of these philosophical and mystical attitudes and their relationship