Direct Perception in Suhrawardi and Heidegger's Philosophy

In their discussion of knowledge (science) and the criticism of the philosophical traditions before them, both Shahabu al-Din Suhrawardi and Martin Heidegger argue that the authentic perception is a part of direct and intuitive knowledge of the truth and the very essences of things, rather than the impression of the form or concept of an object in the mind. Relying on the luminous-natured identity of self and knowledge, Suhrawardi considers the entire states and types of perception to be of direct and intuitive knowledge. With his theory of man (Dasein) as a "being in the world", while emphasizing the inherent openness of man, Heidegger holds that in the course of practical communication, man removes the veils from himself, the beings and the world and thus man's authentic understanding is of intuitive existence and of presence cognation. While both thinkers emphasize the pre-conceptual nature of the authentic perception, they also embrace conceptual (acquired) perception at a later stage. However, viewing the difference in culture and intellectual tradition of the two thinkers, there naturally are differences of opinion between them. Through an analytical-comparative method, this article has determined the similarities and differences of the two philosophers as to direct perception.