An Analytical Study Concerning the Nature of Connotation from the Grand Āyatullāh Borūjerdī's Perspective

Āyatullāh Borūjerdī has an exquisite viewpoint regarding the nature of Connotation: firstly, Āyatullāh Borūjerdī holds that Connotation – unlike Enunciation which is strictly dependent on the invention – is comprehended from the implications caused by the conditions of the speech. Hence, he subcategorizes the Connotation under the rational principles which run in volitional acts. ýSecondly, he reckons the Uṣūlī's dispute here a major dispute. Thirdly, he attributes his stance to the former Uṣūlī scholars, and thereon, he criticizes Shaykh Anṣārī and his succeeding scholars. ýAll these three ideas are reviewed in this paper. This study also compares Words Employment Theory in Uṣūl al-fiqh with the Theory of Speech Acts in the philosophy of language. Āyatullāh Borūjerdī's advertence to the behavioral aspect of the Words Employment is the subgrade of this comparison.