A Look at Conventional Concepts (idråkåt-i itibårì) as a Possibility for New Horizons in the Human Sciences

‘Conventional concepts’ (idråkåt-i i‘tibårì) is the title of the sixth essay of the book The Principles of Philosophy and the Method of Realism by ‘Allåmah Ĥabåĥabå'ì. Since the publication of that book, 'conventional concept's has been an idea synonymous with philosophical innovation, the adherents of this view having said much about it. This present work takes a different look at that essay, investigating its relation to the sources of ‘Allåmah Ĥabåĥabå’ì’s philosophy, and discussing its connection with practical philosophy (ĕikmat-i ‘amalì). Moreover, this article, by recourse to the existential approach, for the first time considers practical and theoretical philosophy from the unified perspective of the existence of the human being. It regards all ‘conventional concepts’, whether theoretical or practical, as instruments for developing and promoting human existence; and explains the possibilities inherent in the idea of ‘conventional concepts’ for opening new windows for philosophical thought in the human sciences.