فصلنامه آیین حکمت
پیاپی 32 (تابستان 1396)

Human life is regarded as a topic subject to considerable attention from various aspects. Question on the what of the meaning of life is one deeply rooted in all human being. Therefore, human has been trying to find a satisfactory answer on which one may reach peace of mind and become hopeful to life. Such properties as knowledge, ability to foresee many future events, free will etc. have made human life distinct from that of other animals. It, therefore, may be said that the essence of human life is due to these qualities. All obtainable meaning or purpose as the fruit of life including both fruitfulness and fruitlessness of life would be known as originated from mental qualities of human being. In the paper, it is intended to explain the nature human life, what is meant by the meaningfulness of life and, finally, the part of faith and belief in God for making life meaningful. It has been made clear that given lack of God or belief in God, human life would be meaning less and in vain

It is only acquired knowledge that is dealt with, with regard to its state of being referential or meta-referential. Mind as a referential field and functional mode of human soul in its own place of existence presents its essential quality of being referential for general and particular formal ideas and for propositional ideas. In addition, it prepares a ground for reason to attain generality of such ideas; as the referential property of ideas is essential, it is concluded that on the basis of the principle of interrelation, the referential agent and the object referred to have to be present in the space of reference. Since the referential is nothing other than the ideas referring to something and the referred to other than the thing presented by the ideas. On this basis, these concepts, in spite of their reality correspond to the things presented; such a correspondence is presented in mind and the power of reason accepts it.

Finding the what and types of knowledge and solving the problem of correspondence have been focused on since the philosophical studies began. Explanation of the nature of knowledge, its types of knowledge by presence and knowledge by correspondence, relativity of the division and the way of returning the types to each other have been the most important problems studied in the paper. Again, returning of knowledge by correspondence to that by presence along with different views on it and, finally, the preferred one have been of more importance. It should be stated that reviewing the above problems have been mostly based on transcendent opinions.

The part of imagination has always been considered as a concern for philosophers and mystics in ontology and epistemology. Imagination plays an essential part in happening and explanation of mystics` unveiling. When explaining the part of this faculty, Mulla Sadra has put imagination into two connected and separate types. For him, the former is known as an inner faculty keeping imaginary forms and the latter as an independent world extended between the two worlds of sensation and intellection. As is explained in the paper, mystic`s soul performing an inner movement by the help of connected imagination is put in connection to separate imagination and, in this way, perceives imaginary forms revealed in connected imagination during sleeping and waking both. This unveiling leads to the unity of mystic`s soul with its intuitive finding and knowledge by presence. The philosopher has explained strange actions of awlia` and prophet`s revelation on the basis of soul`s creativity and power and known it as a combination of formal and spiritual unveilings.

For Sadra, the faculty of phantasm, viewed as being not separated faculty but as descended intellect or ascended imaginary, perceives non-universal meanings. Mulla Sadra has not studied the faculty and its way of attaining fantastic meanings separately; the authors, however, have studied its way of production with regard to intellectual and imaginary concepts and unity of knower and the known in each level. Sadra`s principles for proving corporeal state of phantasm consist in fundamentality of existence, unity of matter and form in existence, substantial motion. The productions of the faculty may be introduced as: considering sensible as intellectual, opposing intellect in the conclusion of deduction, permanent unreasonable wishes and fearful ideas. Effects by the faculty may be considered as unusual power in human souls, their purity or impurity.

In the paper, it has been intended to study Stace`s view on unity of existence as understood in Islamic mysticism. Therefore, Muslim mystics` view on the unity of existence has been explained first and then, Stace`s view in the field has been mentioned and finally a comparison has been made between the two sides. Contrary to Stace, that views Muslim mystics as being dualist with existential monistic tendency and more or less monist, they should surely be known as existential monist. And it is just the same point that Stace says in his mystical special speech, shathiyah, of unity of existence. God`s being and, at the same time, not being just the same as the world expressed by Stace may be taken to mean the same as Muslim mystics` view on unity in multiplicity and multiplicity in unity. The difference of the views lies only in the manner of speech and depth of perception and, in conclusion, in explaining unity and multiplicity, the point meant incorrectly by Stace and viewed by him as contradictory and, at the same time, justifiable. Stace knows mysticism beyond the field of logic and, therefore, far from mind and reason. While Muslim mystics view existential monism as logical and reasonable.

Among the most fundamental and important methodological problems being in close relation with epistemology consists in the problem that what the part of paradigms, namely principles, in knowledge and attaining reality is. May one paradigm be regarded as superior to some other paradigm(s) to be preferred? In the paper, therefore, with an emphasis on irrationality of the teaching of framework, the distinction between mental frame and principles as well as their qualities have been studied. Again, possibility for agreeing with paradigms meant by the meaning of principles has been surveyed; in addition, the part of such a meaning of paradigm in appearance of knowledge and attaining reality has been made clear. Finally, all types of paradigm has been studied. As concluded in the study, from each principle, some view appropriate to itself would appear. Principles, particularly those of epistemology, are of considerable part in theories. Would such a multiplicity lead to a kind of skepticism in methodology of sciences? If any, what method may be preferred? The study has ended with an attempt to find a solution for the question.

Logicians view logic as the measure for truth of thought. Theologians have taken such different views on the claim that has caused a deep opposition among a strong Sunni sect like Ash`rites. The theologians, therefore, have differed when speaking of logic. As explained in the paper, Ash`arite theologians have viewed on logic during three periods: before the fifth of Hijrah, they oppose logic largely. Ghazzali`s works have considerably upgraded the place of logic. After him, however, Ash`arite theologians formed three groups: many of them including Fakhr al-Din Razi, Shams al-Din Mohammad Samarqandi, Taftazani and Sharif Gorgani have agreed it. And some of them opposed it and viewed those studying it as doing unlawful action. The third group including those as Taq al-Din Sobki tried to harmonize the two opposite views.

The problem of meaning of life is among those most fundamental questions facing contemporary Western man on which centered theist existentialists. In the paper, an approach by theist existentialism has been studied; as concluded in an analytical descriptive method, theist existentialists, reconsidering traditional concept of God, try to consider God as an absolute, holy and transcendent being, open a new way and, therefore, relate meaning of life to him. Needless to say, this philosophical position will surely be minimal and unacceptable for many of those religious people knowing the existence of God to be reasonable and demonstrative.