نشریه غرب شناسی بنیادی
پیاپی 2 (پاییز و زمستان 1389)

The present article tries to show that Rorty''s philosophy has some moral message. To do so، we have to look at the contents of some of his books and in particular After Philosophy and The Mirror of Nature. The above-mentioned moral message may be، implicitly or explicitly، seen in his neo-pragmatist ideas and thoughts in the form of concepts and terms such as «solidarity»، «democracy»، and «cultural politics». In many places، of course، Rorty expresses this message in literary language and in particular through novelists. The present study، of course، is not intended to prove that، like Kant، Rorty has some philosophy of morality; since he is one of the stubborn critics of Kantian morality. Rorty''s neo-pragmatist and critical approach to Kantian morality is influenced by pragmatism of Dewey، James and Levinas'' philosophy.

The «cultural Iran» is one of the main cultural-civilizational fields in the today geography of identity which has always attracted attention of researchers and thinkers. Having come into being because of common linguistic، cultural، and social elements and components، the cultural-civilizational heritage is a product of long historical experience which has linked knowledge and identity، and brought about «civilizational self-consciousness». This is knowledge of a rich heritage shared by the countries of this region on the one hand، and an identity produced by internal and domestic elements and components. Like all other identities، the identity of cultural Iran has been always interacting with or encountering identities of other civilizations among which we may mention the western identity. And the latter is an identity which is trying to impose to other identities and civilizations its own claim for universalism. The present study is an attempt made to describe the identity of the cultural Iran in such a way that its interacting or encountering relation with the above-mentioned identity may be explained; and if there is some kind of encounter، introducing a proper way، the present article tries to change it to an opportunity for interaction. To do so، relying on an understanding of the position of the cultural Iran as well as its cultural position، historical، civilizational، identity، religious، and linguistic capacities، the present article attempts to criticize domination of the western culture and identity. In this writing، the authors have adopted a descriptive-analytical methodology which is done while making uses of library methods and internet sources.

In the contemporary era، the Western scientific capabilities in the field of technology and her political domination have been two important issues for other societies. The idea Iranians have of the West، because of her colonialist character، is mostly accompanied by some oversimplifications. In this regard، a proper view to the West requires accurate، fundamental، deep، and comprehensive knowledge of her. In the non-western countries، some manifestations of the West have appeared in the form of ideas and views as well as emphasis put on the western thinkers and their works in their civilizational era. Iran is one of these countries which has been، in the contemporary era، subject to such manifestations. In this concern، and while knowledge of West is still a serious issue، [study of] the history of Iranians'' familiarity with the western manifestations، in their historical and intellectual terms، is among necessary duties. One of the vigorous scientists and researchers who discusses studies of the West done by Iranians is Karim Mojtahedi. While doing this، he introduces the West; and، through this introduction، Iranians may know themselves in a better manner. His work shows the ideas of an Iranian of the West in his own time; and، at the same time، it discusses the ideas of other Iranians of the West which، in the present article، more emphasis has put on it. Knowing from a philosophical point of view، on which Mojtahedi puts emphasis، is important since he thinks that the contemporary civilization of the West has been founded on philosophical foundations. The present article discusses and processes ideas of Mojtahedi، views of Iranians to the contemporary modern time of the West، [western] influential thinkers، and works done by Iranians in this field. The methodology employed in the present article is a descriptive-analytical one. Findings show that، concerning the West، some works have been done by Iranians such as Malkom، Akhundzadeh، and Hosseinqoli Aqa which had some sympathy toward the West. Also، some works have been performed by Iranians like Sayyid Jamal and Mulla ''Ali Zunuzi who were of the opinion that the West''s achievements should be employed. Also، the article shows that not only Iranians knowledge of the West has not been a proper one، but also it has been false and accompanied by some misunderstanding; and، as a result، it has been of no use for Iranian society.

In Nietzsche works، Christianity is considered as a prominent instance of the slave morality، since it takes weakness as human power and brightness. For a Christian، a good man is a humble and good-wishing one. Nietzsche considers each and every moral system of this kind as Christian morality and criticizes many moral principles accepted by the modern world under this title. He thinks that Judaism has played such an important role in man''s decline that he takes it [Judaism] as a symbol of values of lower species as compared to higher human beings. According to him، conflict between two value systems is a historical conflict which، in spite of historical victory of the declined and lower species، is still continuing. On the other hand، «morality» and «values» in the modern world may be considered as his most important intellectual concern. In the modern world in which the foundations of metaphysics become unstable (of which Nietzsche speaks as God''s death)، foundations of traditional morality and values become unstable as well، since the ruling morality introduces its own values as instructions issued by a lofty and meta-natural source. Now that the supra-natural has been invalidated، moral values are dissolving as well، and man faces the crisis of nihilism. Under such circumstances، Nietzsche claims for creation of new values. The questions discussed in the present article are «what is the nature of moral values whose death has come and where is their source? And، in the light of which point، the morality by Nietzsche، will appear?»

According to Derrida، violence and xenophobia existing in the western politics have their roots in metaphysical thought. The western metaphysical tradition، from Plato to Husserl، is the main and primary source of political xenophobia. Having influenced all fields of the western man''s thought and practices، this thought has closed the way to all tolerating and xenophile ideas and practices. Criticizing instances of such a xenophobia، Derrida tries to create a different politics. The present article is، firstly، a research in the nature of Derrida''s critique، and then، it discusses the way this critique relates to deconstructive politics.

The article seeks to criticize Jalal Al-ahmad''s conceptions، in particular in contrast to Iranian contemporary thinker، Ahmad fardid''s profound insigts، of the concepts of the West and Westrnizaton، his understanding of social، historical causes of Westernization and also his realization of tradition and necessity of return to it، which have had a very basic role in the formation of the paradigm of Iranians'' social thought in contemporary history. It is worthy to mention that Al-ahmad''s social thought paradigm has domination in Iranaian recent social sphere yet after about the past of half a century from being written his Westernization.

In the present article، Kant''s view concerning metaphysics has been studied. Having explained lexical and terminological meaning of the term «metaphysics» as understood by Aristotle، the authors have made mentions to various metaphysical systems from Plato to Descartes and his followers. Then، the meaning of the term، as understood in Kant''s philosophy، has been studied; and its negative and positive aspects in his philosophy have been discussed. After that، the article comes to the conclusion that، influenced by Hume''s ideas، Kant negates metaphysics in its traditional sense (i. e. theoretical and certain knowledge of God، world، and soul). But، he accepts metaphysics in the sense of theoretical support of empirical science، and considers a systematizing role for issues discussed in the traditional metaphysics as well. He leaves confession to objective existence of issues posed in the traditional metaphysics to be discussed in the field of practical reason.