نشریه نسیم خرد
سال هفتم شماره 2 (پیاپی 13، پاییز و زمستان 1400)

Principality of existence and conventionality of quiddity can be considered as the main pillars of transcendental philosophy. This term has various interpretations each of which can be regarded as related to one dimension of that meaning. Thus, in the present article, we have attempted to review one of these interpretations (that of Master Gholam-Reza Fayyazi), and offer an explanation that seems to be closer to reality. Accordingly, in this article, we have stated Master Fayyazi’s foundations and offered a summary of his opinions regarding this principle to explain eight foundations and critiques about them, while explaining some part of semantic foundations that seems to be more correct. Besides, we have also investigated and reviewed the reason he has offered for his opinion on conventionality of quiddity with his special statement. We have continued with explaining and reviewing the most essential consequence of that statement, which seems not to be right. Therefore, in this article, we have attempted, while offering critiques of that statement, to present points for researchers in the transcendental philosophy to enable them to gain more of that philosophical school and come closer to the ontological depth of transcendental philosophy.

A knower’s intuitive knowledge (whether the exalted necessary being, or sublime abstract beings, or human beings) of the material thing is among the difficult issues in philosophy, about which thinkers disagree and some believe that knowledge does not belong to material things and some believe contrary to that. Various reasons have been stated for non-intuition, some of which return to the material thing itself, some others return to the features of knowledge, and still some others return to the knower’s characteristics. In this article, we seek to deal with this issue from three angles using the method of explanation and description to investigate how each of them is an obstacle. The result of the study is that the feature of extension and dispersal of material things as well as the feature of abstraction of knowledge and existential relation between the knower and the known does not hinder the attribution of knowledge to material things. This is because, firstly, if material things are extended from one aspect, they are non-extended from another aspect. Secondly, abstraction is not the condition for being known. Thirdly, another type of relationship, such as status, can cause intuition.

The present study, focusing on the obstacles of true knowledge from the viewpoints of Sheikh Ishraq (549-587 AH) and ʿIzzuddin Kashani (d. 735 AH), investigates and integrates the views and opinions of these two Muslim thinkers and pursues the similarities and differences of their opinions through a descriptive-analytical method. Sensory perceptions as well as the rational and argumentative sciences are among the obstacles of knowledge for Sheikh Ishraq, and the subsistence intellect (ʿaql maʿāsh) is among the obstacles of knowledge for ʿIzzuddin Mahmoud Kashani. Sohrawardi maintains that knowledge is enclosed in the jail of the nature and intelligibles as long as it denotes the forms of sensible things and individuations, which cannot be seen by the eyes of the body and the intellect. Kashani also, by relying on the light of faith and certainty, regards obstacles such as knowledge and argumentation, subsistence intellect, sin and sensual passions, evil deceptions, and boasting as the blights that prevent the man from acquiring knowledge. Considering his potentials and his existential capacities, the man has the decency to achieve perfection and receive emanated knowledge, and achieving the true knowledge necessitates disruption from the world of sensible things, impurities and physical involvements as well as the world of apparent things.

Principality of existence serves as the backbone of Mulla Sadra’s philosophy. The transcendental philosophy is distinctive from other philosophical schools for the fact that it is consciously an ontological philosophy. What manages the structure of Mulla Sadra’s philosophy and is manifested all throughout the transcendental philosophy is the existential thought and principality of existence. Thus, it makes a difference whether the essential thought governs the life or the existential thought, because the essential thought cut from the existence leads the man towards rivalry in wealth. But the existential thought nurtures the man as a divine and abundance-centered being. Thus, it is an obligation both for individuals and for society to return to the ‘existence’. In spite of ample writings about the principality of existence, there is not enough discussion on the individual and social life and the importance of returning to existence. Therefore, it is worth discussing separately on existential thought.

Cohen offered the discussion on ‘paradigm’ for the first time, and defined this term about the history of science in physics as follows: “Paradigm is a beam and layer of truth that opens a scope of the universe and its rules for us and determines our presuppositions, beliefs and perceptions about it.” Compiling a paradigm in any science or regarding any subject aims at offering a framework for resolving scientific issues within a certain limit. Indeed, paradigm is responsible for all general orientations of all theories originated from it. The quantum theory emerged in twentieth century, and quantum physics now enjoys a certain importance in philosophy of science. Many scientists such as Heisenberg, Plank and Schrodinger contributed to the development and evolutions in the theory of quantum physics. The theory of quantum physics was the onset of a new season in physics issues. The theory of quantum physics is not merely a theory. Rather, it is a method of thinking that can be used in other scientific disciplines, and its principles and concepts can be used as a scientific approach in disciplines such as computer, information, biology, communications, psychology, and educational sciences. Unlike Newton’s paradigm that pays attention to particularism and focus on functional particles, quantum paradigm is holistic and focuses on relationships. Based on the quantum paradigm, the whole universe is composed of energy whose basic state (the static and non-aroused state of the source energy) is called quantum vacuum. In other words, the universe is the infinite field of energy wherein there is no empty room. This field is called “quantum vacuum”. This vacuum, however, is not empty and includes all things and phenomena.Measuring, which is the heart of the quantum theory, is considered as one of the aspects of basic difference between the quantum mechanics and classic mechanics. In the quantum mechanics, a precise definition of measurement is required. In the quantum mechanics, observing the microscopic thing leads to a major alteration in the state of that particle. Thus, measuring in quantum mechanics is different from measuring in the classic mechanics wherein observation and measurement has little effect on the thing. The common presupposition about measurement is that the system to be measured has a quantity, and that quantity has an amount that is measured. Thus, measurement reveals a feature that the system has already had. Accordingly, even if no measurement has been done on the system, the system would have had that feature.It seems that the heart of the quantum theory is God’s knowledge of predestination (ilm qadar). Qadar means size, measurement and specifying the limits of something, and terminologically, it means that God has specified a size and amount for anything, creating it on the basis of calculation and assessment. Qadr is also divided into two types as far as order is concerned: (1) scientific measure, which is the origin for the limits and sizes of the things; and (2) objective measure, which is the determination of existence and the size of the existence of things as they are attributed to the Necessary Being. In this study, qadr means the first one, i.e. the scientific measure. Consequently, it seems that quantum paradigm is able to resolve the issues of various sciences, because it is based on one pure truth (Exalted God’s knowledge).

Some of the thinking souls become apt to receive intelligible forms by obtaining sensory and imaginary perceptions. Then, they are liable to receive divine grace, and the intelligible forms are granted to them through connecting to and uniting with the granter of the forms (wāhib al-ṣuwar) that is out of the thinking soul and therein the intelligibles are actually present. Relationship with the active intellect and receiving the intelligible forms is done in a process that is proper for any order among the orders of theoretical intellect. At a time, it is the reception of axioms; at another time, it is the reception of theories, until the existential order of the thinking soul reaches a point wherein it is qualified to receive all intelligible forms present in the active intellect; and finally, it reaches the order of sacred intellect wherein the intellect becomes simple and essential. The owner of the sacred intellect becomes aware of the truths of the universe and nothing remains hidden and unknown for him. Thus, he observes the Exalted God, resurrection, and stages of the worlds of existence. This intuition and presence covers all his existential orders from the intellect to the senses. This is because, on the one hand, the intellect has become pure and essential and, on the other hand, this soul that has reached the stage of sacred spirit perceives in the order of senses, not faculties. Thus, the owner of the sacred intellect and spirit, since he finds all things in the form of presence and intuition in the order of essence, is pure and free – in the position of action that is based on the order of essence – from any mistake, forgetfulness, negligence, oblivion, and the like whose homeland is the acquired knowledge. Therefore, these souls are immune and free from any mistake and oblivion in all orders of theoretical and practical intellect.