فصلنامه حکمت و فلسفه
سال نوزدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 76، زمستان 1402)

The philosophy of music is a branch of philosophy that studies the meaning of music, the relationship between the artist and the creation of music, the relationship between the audience and music, and such issues. Since emotions and feelings constitute the meaning of music, the primary focus of theorists in this field is devoted to the fundamental question of where the emotional impact of music originates from. In the philosophy of music, there are two rival theories regarding the source of musical emotions: the expressive theory, which prioritizes the emotions of the artist in creating the work and considers the meaning of music in the expression of the artist's emotions, and the arousal theory, which gives priority to the emotions evoked in the listener and considers the meaning and purpose of music in eliciting the emotions of the audience.
The aim of this research is to facilitate the scientific examination of the relationship between music and emotions. The specific objectives of this research are as follows: _ Introducing and examining the most important theories and discussions in the philosophy of music. _ Investigating the most important criticisms that have been made on various theories in the philosophy of music and showing the efforts of theorists and philosophers to respond to these criticisms. _ Showing that old theories put forward by philosophers like Aristotle can still be relevant in current philosophical discussions. This highlights the importance of mastering the history of philosophy for researchers in this field. _ Demonstrating that music can (or even should) be subject to contemplation and philosophical inquiry. This research is classified as fundamental research in terms of the data collection method, which is qualitative research using a library research approach. Additionally, this research specifically utilizes up-to-date and primary sources in the field of philosophy of music.

Research Question(s):

Which of these two theories of Expression and Arousal provides a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between music and emotions and offers a better explanation of our emotional experiences when confronted with music?
Which theory can better respond to the criticisms raised against it?
Literature Review
Some of the most important articles published on the arousal theory of music are as follows (in chronological order):Mew, P (1984) The musical arousal of emotions.British Journal of Aesthetics 25 (4):357-361.
Robinson, J (1994) The expression and arousal of emotion in music. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 52 (1):13-22.
 Beever, A. (1998) The Arousal Theory Again? The British Journal of Aesthetics 38(1):82-90.
Kingsbury, J (1999) Why the Arousal Theory of Musical Expressiveness is Still Wrong? Australasian Journal of Philosophy 77 (1):83 – 88.
Matravers, D (2007) Musical expressiveness. Philosophy Compass 2 (3):373–379.
 Arbo, A. (2009) Some Remarks on “Hearing-as” and its Role in the Aesthetics of Music. Topoi 28 (2):97-107.
Cochrane, T. (2010) Music, Emotions and the Influence of the Cognitive Sciences. Philosophy Compass 5 (11):978-988.
Eerola, T. (2016) Being Moved by Unfamiliar Sad Music Is Associated with High Empathy. Frontiers in Psychology 7.
Levinson,  j (2016) Music-Specific Emotion: An Elusive Quarry. Estetika 53 (2):115-131.
Wu-Jing He (2017) Emotional Reactions Mediate the Effect of Music Listening on Creative Thinking: Perspective of the Arousal-and-Mood Hypothesis. Frontiers in Psychology 8

This research is classified as fundamental research in terms of its objective. The general aim of this research is to establish a conceptual framework for the philosophical examination of the relationship between music and emotions

In response to the first question, we first need to see what each of these two theories offers in response to the most important issue regarding emotions and music, namely the issue of the "relationship between expressed emotions in music and evoked emotions in the listener." The expressive theory addresses this issue with the concept of "grounding," while the motivational theory uses the concept of "emotional codes." Our analysis shows that the concept of "emotional codes" is more effective than "grounding" for two reasons:"Grounding" is a concept that claims objectivity, while by definition, the meaning of music lies in its sensory content. The conflict between the expressive theory and the motivational theory is essentially a conflict over determining the place of sensory content in music. The expressive theory places the sensory content in the expressed emotions in the musical piece and considers these emotions as a crystallization of the emotions of the creator, while the motivational theory places the sensory content of music in the emotions evoked in the listener through music. Referring to an objective concept to explain the place of sensory content, if not a theoretical impossibility, is an additional effort that only complicates the conflict between these two theories.
The concept of emotional codes conceptualizes the issue at the mental (or intermental) level and provides an effective framework for explaining the position of the sensory content of music. Different and varied reactions to music are appropriate. Furthermore, by introducing the concept of emotional codes, one can pave the way for framing research issues in an interdisciplinary context. This way, the issue of the sensory content of music can be explored in the interdisciplinary fields of musicology, philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience.
Our analysis has shown that the theory of motivation with our experiential intuition is more compatible. This is because the basis of judging a musical work is the experienced emotions, not the assumed emotions that the artist intended to express. For example, when we label a piece of music as sad, it is not because the composer intended to express sad emotions, but rather it is simply and intuitively because that piece evokes a sense of sadness in us.
As a result, the theory of motivation provides a better and more valid explanation of the relationship between music and emotions.
In response to the second question, it is important to consider the main criticism that challenges each of these two theories and how they respond to it. Our analysis has shown that the main criticism of the expressive theory is the "expression of unexperienced emotions," and proponents of the expressive theory, in response to this criticism, question the principles of this theory. They do not necessarily consider the expressed emotions as belonging to the artist, but rather see the artist as simply a narrator of the emotions of another individual (or even a completely imaginary person). In this way, they raise the larger question of whose emotions are being expressed in music. Since the answer cannot be the audience (as that would essentially turn it into a motivational theory), this question remains shrouded in ambiguity and mystery.
On the other hand, in our research, we demonstrated that the responses that have been presented to the issue of "liking sad music" are not defensible and valid. Furthermore, by using the concept of catharsis from Aristotle, we were able to propose an acceptable response to this criticism. We showed that our proposed response can address all the criticisms that were present in other responses.

In various philosophical perspectives, the concept of the essence and being of the universe is one of the issues that has always led to discussions and reflections among renowned philosophers such as Plato and Arthur Schopenhauer. Plato, focusing on the concept of ideas and the world of thought, and Schopenhauer, emphasizing the will and the concept of the "thing in itself," have created various views on truth and existence, each influenced by different philosophical and historical backgrounds. This article seeks to provide a deeper insight into the concept of the essence or "being" of the universe and the epistemological function of art within it through the study and analysis of the perspectives of Plato and Schopenhauer. By examining these concepts, the role and importance of art as a means of understanding and cognizing the universe are explored. On one hand, a look into Plato's philosophy and the concept of ideas and forms is presented to understand how art relates to truth and being, and on the other hand, Schopenhauer's perspective on will and the "thing in itself" and the role of art in understanding and visualizing these concepts are examined. Given that each of these perspectives is rooted in rich and sometimes complex philosophical thoughts, the writing of this article is dedicated to a detailed analysis of the concepts and a review of various sources related to these topics. It is hoped that these analyses can present the perspectives of Plato and Schopenhauer in the context of art and knowledge to the readers in the best possible way, aiding in a clearer understanding and enlightenment of our perception of the world and art.

Literature Review:

In the articles "Aesthetics and Art in Plato's Philosophy" by Abolhasan Ghaffari (2015) and "The Role of Art in Schopenhauer's Thought" by Mohammad Javad Safaian and Amini (2009), Plato's view on art and its levels, as well as Schopenhauer's view on the role of art in alleviating pain and suffering, have been explained. However, the comparison between these two thoughts, especially the epistemic function of art in understanding the essence of the world or the thing-in-itself, is a new approach addressed in this article.

     This article attempts a descriptive-analytical approach. After explaining the phenomenal world and the essence from Schopenhauer's perspective, the importance and position of art, the levels of art, and its epistemic function in Schopenhauer's thought are discussed by contemplating Plato's philosophy and his view on the relationship between art and understanding the truth of the world.

Schopenhauer, like Plato, regards this world as a manifestation wherein the essence is manifested; because behind the sensible, there is an inner and mysterious truth, the visible world is entirely subsidiary and dependent on it, and there is no intrinsic difference between this visible world and the essence for Schopenhauer, just as for Plato, there is no intrinsic difference between the natural world and the world of forms. Considering the degrees of existence and corresponding degrees and levels of knowledge, this world is a shadow of that world, and knowledge of this world is a degree of levels of cognition, and during the example, it is considered as the highest example. The essence or the being of the world for Schopenhauer is the will, but the will is not the same as the Platonic example because from Schopenhauer's perspective, the Platonic example, which is rational, is an intermediary between will as the essence and the visible. Whereas, Schopenhauer's will be not accessible to reason. This is where the role and position of art in Schopenhauer's philosophy become clear; because Schopenhauer, like Plato, believes in the epistemic function of art; because art for Schopenhauer is not the expression of emotions and feelings; rather, art is a particular understanding of reality. Art is directly and immediately, not with general and abstract concepts, seeks to reach the essence and being of the world, and with art as the power of inner thought, knowledge of the essence and will, namely, the inner and true reality of the world, is attainable. Therefore, Schopenhauer considers true art as the observation of the general and will. Furthermore, art can create a kind of deep thought in humans to free the mind from the captivity of desires and, as a result, transcend suffering and hardships in the superior world. Plato, considering the relationship between epistemology and ontology in art, like Schopenhauer, seeks to give authenticity to art. Plato, by raising the criterion of knowledge for the artist in creating an artistic work, shows that the arts, as it were, in different directions, are reflective of knowledge of truth and untruth. Therefore, for Plato, knowledge is the most important component in imitation; if imitation is based on ignorance and lack of knowledge, it has a reprehensible meaning, and imitation based on knowledge is desirable and preferred. Plato in the Republic considers imitation as a formative authority that can be multi-layered; that is, it can be close to the truth or far from it, and while being imitative, believes that to imitate well, one must know the truth. The closer an art is to the truth, the more valuable it is; therefore, any art indifferent to the truth is considered worthless.

Eliot Cohen is one of the contemporary pioneers of philosophical counseling. He considers philosophical counseling as one of the branches of applied philosophy. His logic-based therapy (LBT) or his logic-based counseling and therapy is also a subcategory of this claim. His reason is that a philosophical counselor, especially a counselor with Logic-Base Therapy (LBT), empowers the skill of applying philosophy in everyday life, and this method provides his audience with a coherent, clear, and most importantly, methodical framework for applying philosophical ideas and methods in solving psychological problems (Cohen, 2015, p. 34). Cohen has always sought to develop logic-based therapy as an independent and reliable branch among philosophical counseling approaches. We can see this specific trajectory in his works from the very beginning of using philosophy in treatment.
On the one hand, we know that Aristotle, as a systematic philosopher, in the practical dimensions of his philosophy, not only asked what happiness is in life, but also sought to realize it. Cohen was inspired by this issue and generally believes that applying Aristotle's philosophy in philosophical counseling leads to the "self-care" of clients (Cohen, 2003, p. 18). In his treatment system, he has used not only Aristotle's logic and especially his approach to fallacies and his theory of practical analogies, but also Aristotle's moral philosophy and the concept of virtue and its practical application.
The main field of this research is philosophical counseling with a focus on Cohen's logic-based therapy (LBT method). Our main goal is to see how Cohen was able to use Aristotle's philosophy, especially his logic and moral philosophy, in philosophical counseling in his logic-based therapy system.

The main issue of this research is, in what sense Cohen's logic-based therapy should be considered Aristotelian. Answering this question requires answering at least two other questions: first, what is the contribution of Aristotle's moral and logical teachings in the establishment of logic-based therapy; secondly, how Cohen used the classical concepts and themes of Aristotle's philosophy during the establishment and development of this contemporary treatment method.

Following the development of philosophical counseling in recent years, and specifically about Cohen's method as one of the contemporary counseling and treatment methods, numerous articles and books have been written. Some of these researches have generally developed and described Cohen's LBT method, but none of them have directly addressed the influence and role of foundations and themes derived from philosophy and especially Aristotle's logic and methodology in the establishment and development of this method. However, the past valuable research about the LBT method will certainly help us in advancing the goals of this research.
The article Metaphysics of logic-based therapy (LBT) in Cohen's view (Nazarnejad, 2021) is a research that overlaps with part of our research goal and explains Cohen's method and its theoretical foundations. But this article does not focus specifically on the Aristotelian foundations and Aristotelian methodology of logic-based therapy. Perhaps Cohen himself made the most review of the background of our research. In 2000, he published a book called Philosophers at Work, and in its seventh chapter, he discussed the role of Aristotelian logic in professions such as law and medicine. He also wrote a book titled What would Aristotle do? in 2003, where he discussed the role of Aristotle's philosophy in philosophical counseling. In fact, this book may have emphasized the importance of Aristotle in philosophical counseling among other important works of Cohen in his logic-oriented method, but so far, no independent or critical research has been published - especially by commentators - that simultaneously analyzes the effect of Aristotle's moral and logical foundations in logic-based treatment.

Our philosophical method in this research is analytical, and as one of its aspects, we have analyzed documents. In this step of the analysis, we first collected the documents and then organized the claims and their content. Then, by explaining logic-based therapy (LBT) and searching for the obvious and hidden Aristotelian roots in this treatment method, we have presented our analysis and evaluation in connection with the Aristotelian foundations of logic-oriented therapy, especially based on the three aspects of the hypothesis proposed in the problem statement section.

In a comprehensive statement, from Cohen's point of view, the field of human feelings, emotions, and decisions has an inferential structure that is often hidden. What endangers a person's psychological health is the transformation of these internal conclusions into pseudo-inferences or so-called fallacies. It is for this reason that a person's will and then his words and actions fall into error, and therefore the relationship of a person with himself, others and the world around him becomes restless and confused.
But at the same time, he believes in this Aristotelian teaching that human happiness depends on living according to virtues. The solution to this psychological confusion in logic-based therapy (LBT) is to identify and fix these fallacies by replacing them with appropriate virtues in the same field of thinking.
Our analysis of the Aristotelian foundations of Cohen's logic-based therapy shows that: 1. In some subjects, Cohen has completely taken the basics of his discussion and his method from Aristotle; topics such as the Doctrine of the Mean, some types of fallacies and virtues, as well as the role of practice in establishing virtues in a person's existence. 2. However, in matters such as the deductive nature of human emotions, feelings and decisions, as well as being inspired by Aristotle's theory of "logical slips" and Aristotle's theory of practical analogies, Cohen only has an Aristotelian framework. This means that the foundations of Cohen's claims are Aristotelian, but when applied to LBT, new results were obtained. Overall, it seems that the scope of this second meaning is wider.

 Language is a seemingly simple but at the same time very complex phenomenon. Linguists have always tried to understand what language is and provide a definition of it. Among the sages, Mulla Sadra has an ontological view of speech and, relying on his system of jurisprudence, defines language using the principles of the originality of existence, sequence of existence, and substantial motion. The purpose of this article is to provide a descriptive-analytical explanation of Mulla Sadra's view on language but from an angle that is in correspondence and similar to the universe. He introduces language in a system that corresponds perfectly to the universe and it means both with an ascending and descending course, beginning and end, grading and rank, fertility and dynamism, and in proportion and addition with the audience. Part of this correspondence is in the relationship between mind and object. He believes that language and existence are so intertwined that existence is nothing but words.

Research Questions:

Is language an existential truth or a contractual tool?
What is the relationship between language and universe?
What are the areas of similarity and correspondence between language and the universe?

 Mohsen Pirhadi and Alilah Badashti, in the article “Criticism and review of verbal and emotional speech based on transcendental wisdom” compare the views of theologians and Mulla Sadra regarding the verbal or emotional nature of the speech, and its purpose is to investigate whether the divine word is verbal or emotional. However, the following article not only examines speech in divine and human dimensions, but its purpose is to study language in the system of existence.
Maqsood Mahmoudi also examines the views of theologians and Mulla Sadra in the article “Explanation of the attribute of speech, the divine word and the descent of revelation based on the transcendental wisdom “similar to the previous article.
Also, Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Mirdamadi and Seyyed Mehdi Emami Juma, in the article “Philosophical principles and principles of Kalam and Divine Book in the modern ontology of Mulla Sadra” deal with the issue of if we want to consider existence as the Word or Divine Book, what are the characteristics of existence we face. To explain this point of view, he points to thirteen rules for studying the Book of Being, which are necessary to know, such as the unlimitedness of the divine word, the unseenness of the divine word, etc. The purpose of this article is not only to know the divine word, but it considers the language regardless of whether it is divine or not, compared to the characteristics of the universe. 

 The purpose of this article is to examine the similarities and correspondences between the world of existence and speech from Mulla Sadra's point of view, which is done with a comparative approach and descriptive-analytical method. This work has been done through library research and information gathering, and then comparing Mulla Sadra's views in the two areas of existence and speech.

 Just as Mulla Sadra is the founder of a new ruling system regarding the world of existence, he also presents new and creative views on the nature of language, which are completely consistent with the world of existence and can only be understood by knowing his philosophical principles. He introduces words and speech in a structure that, firstly, has unity in connection with the composite mind and secondly, in similarity and correspondence with the universe, it starts from a specific beginning and leads to a specific destination, but this end itself becomes the beginning for Siri. An ascent that ends at the initial origin. This process of descent and ascent occurs in a two-way interaction between the speaker and the listener, and the role of both is important in this matter. Just as the world of existence is multilevel and this is a favor from the Holy Prophet to provide the way of knowledge for human beings, speech also corresponds to the world of existence, it is multilevel and every word leads us to a specific meaning with a specific level. Interaction with the audience makes sense. Existence is constantly giving birth and moving, and speech is a creative gift that invents new sentences and meanings at the foot of the generative existence. In the end, existence and speech are so similar that he considers the universe to be nothing but speech.

Metaverse technology due to its features such as being stable and permanent, not limited in time and space, and breaking some of the laws of the physical world has been given special attention by technology companies such as Meta and Microsoft, these companies are trying to launch a large and extensive social network to transform Metaverse technology into a world beyond the real world in the future, that users in Metaverse with the identity of an avatar and the use of smart tools such as mobile, laptop, etc. interact with one another. In fact, in this digital world, people no longer use the Internet, but live in it, and with the characters they have created, they experience a variety of social, cultural, political and economic interactions more actively, and more efficiently than in the real world.
Metaverse is still in its beginning, and the definitions and descriptions of this world are constantly changing, so it still has a long way to go to understand what the “Metaverse” world really is and what it will have on human society. However, it can be said that Metaverse with extraordinary features, can transform the technological horizons in human social and interactive life and create a new life experience for its users that will keep them away from traditional and natural life. Humans can create in this world and live in parallel with the physical and objective world in the world they have created. No doubt, these effects are cultural, social, legal, ... It will be for humans.
In this new life, humans can form new families and live in new territories with the identity and genders of the self-made avatar. This kind of life is some of the concepts that we are familiar with in the physical and objective world, such as borders, family, gender, ethnicity, etc.
This is the only important consequence of the metaverse that will make the thinkers and researchers act wisely in the face of this phenomenon. Therefore, it is essential that thinkers try to understand the different aspects of this phenomenon and clear the path to enter and traverse this world for the governing organizations and users so that this technology can be used to flourish human talents and minimize its potential damages. One of the cognitive dimensions that should be explained in this field is the ontology dimension of this phenomenon, neglecting this important issue due to the widespread impact of the Metaverse world on human life in the near future is considered a great neglect.

Due to the novelty of the Metaverse world theory in the literature of today's society, there has not been much scientific research in this field and the same few available researches have either been explained in terms of computer science, economics and architecture, or due to the unknown and obscurity of some of its dimensions for the human sciences thinkers with a pathological approach. Therefore, investigating the cognitive and ontological aspects of this phenomenon from the perspective of Islamic philosophy can be an innovative approach to this problem.

This essay with an ontological approach and descriptive and analytical method explains the nature of the Metaverse world and technologies that are effective in achieving users' perception of this world and then analyzes the way and type of human perception of Metaverse world based on Mulla Sadra's view.
The questions that will be answered in this essay are as follows:What is the nature of the Metaverse world and which technologies used in the Metaverse world play a role in human perception?
What is the ontological analysis of the Metaverse world and its features based on Mulla Sadra's view?
According to the types of perception in Mulla Sadra's view, what is the type and manner of human perception in the Metaverse world?

According to the foundations of Sadra'i philosophy, the perceptible space for the user in the Metaverse is not an Illusion and imagination space for three reasons, but it is a real and external perceptible space, because what is perceived in the Metaverse is the source of external effects, secondly, the perceptible beings in Metaverse have their own objective, partial, and special existence, thirdly, according to the interactive characteristics of this space, the personal perceptions of each user in Metaverse are conceivable for other users as well, so it cannot be an illusionary world.
According to the foundations of Mulla Sadra's ontology and the characteristics of Metaverse, Metaverse is a "hybrid external credit" world, and the entities that make up this space are both true and credit combinations. Also, the entities that make up Metaverse have a real, objective and tangible existence and have an external, partial, and special existence. The Metaverse is a type of tangible being, because this world consists of a series of tangible and perceptible components and has length, width, and depth, such as graphic images having three dimensions, sound waves, etc.
Therefore, because the Metaverse is a credit combination and has no identity other than the identity of its components, it is perceptible by the senses, and what can be understood by humans from the world of the Metaverse are subtle substances such as energy, waves, etc. that complications and attributes such as color, size, etc. are added to them so that they become perceptible to humans. In the Metaverse, users interact with each other in real time, so time in this world has meaning and is in line with real time. This world, like other creatures in the natural world, has movement and change.
By analyzing the characteristics of the Metaverse, it became clear that the place of existence of the Metaverse world is the world of nature; because the existence form of the beings that make up this world is matter (subtle body) and they have other perceptible characteristics of the natural world; like being tangible, having partial and objective existence, having width, length and depth, occupying space and movement, etc. In the epistemological analysis of the Metaverse world, it was determined that what is comprehensible to humans in the metaverse is made by two technologies, virtual reality, and augmented reality, which in virtual reality is sent to the user from only one input source of comprehensible information, and the tools used for perception are by the user among the preliminary and background causes the foundation for the realization of perception in the world of Metaverse. But in augmented reality, information can be understood by the user from two input sources at the same time; the real world, which is understood by the five senses, and the world that can be understood by humans through special tools that are the basis and introduction for perception. In a natural way and through technologies, it is perceived through human senses, and perception in this world is of the type of sensory perception; what is perceived are computer-generated sensations; such as three-dimensional graphic images, and... of course, it should be mentioned that unlike the underlying causes in the real space that are outside the domain of human will and discretion, the underlying causes (computer processes) in the virtual space and Metaverse are formed in the domain of human agency and will and with his awareness. The user can change his and others' sensory perceptions based on determining the type of information data.
What is perceived from the metaverse under two technologies, augmented reality and virtual reality, is based on the philosophical foundations of Mulla Sadra, of the partial acquisition type of perception. When this partial perception is done by the visual and auditory senses, they are of the type of sensory perceptions, and the perception of the other three senses is of the type of imaginary perception.
But another perception also occurs for users in the metaverse, and that is the perception of a user's personal imagination, which is transformed into an external reality by the computer and becomes perceptible to the individual and other users. These perceptions are the type of perception of forms and partial meanings, with the user's imagination; the imagination creates new images with the help of imagination, according to the will of the user, and these images are recognized by artificial intelligence and become sensations in the metaverse, where the visual and auditory perception of these "imaginary sensations" are of the sensory perception and their perception by the senses of smell, touch, and taste. And inner senses are of the type of imaginary perception.

The fundamental problem that has always been paid attention to in the history of thought is that 1- What is the relationship between subject and object? 2- How can we pass from subject to object and know the internal structure of the objective world? The answer to this epistemological problem in the modern period caused extensive changes in the system of thought, and out of it came rationalism, empiricism, and idealism. To explain the mentioned ratio, some like the materialists put the principle as a material object and consider everything, especially the knowledge system, to be explainable based on it. On the other hand, subjective idealism puts the subject first instead of emphasizing the object and bases the explanation of the empirical world on the concept in Kant and rational intuition in Fichte. In both of them, the knowledge system was based on a hard ground that made knowledge as a whole possible by transcending the knowledge system itself. But Hegel took on a completely different role in the Phenomenology of Spirit. 1. by considering the concept as fundamental in the knowledge system, 2. giving it an ontological aspect due to its connection with the object-in-itself, 3. making it fluid from the stage of abstract substance to the stage of the actual subject, he introduced the concept as the absolute with its movement from the potential stage to the actual stage, it determines the subject and the object and harmonizes existence and thought as a system and a dialectical whole. With this work, Hegel was able to rule out elitism in the system of science, and by knowing the concept and its connection with the absolute as fundamental, he reconciled the absolute knowledge with the conventional view and revealed it to everyone. In this article, the author tries to present a concrete interpretation of the system of knowledge in Hegel's thought by focusing on the "concept" according to the preface of the phenomenology of the soul. For this purpose, the author deals with the position of the concept and the explanation of its structure in the phenomenology of the soul under the following nine titles: the position of the concept in the phenomenology of the soul; prior concepts and the beginning of the phenomenology of the soul from essence as nothing; Hegel's critical stance towards instrumentalization of consciousness; the concept and passing from the phenomenal field to the realm of the object in itself; the concept in motion, the ontological foundation of the world; Hegel and the two-way reflection of thought and existence; experience and its extension to the object itself; Hegel's criticism of elitism in the knowledge system through the negation of rational intuition; Hegel's system of knowledge is the only way for subjective idealism to escape from skepticism.

In short, Hegel is trying to define existence and knowledge as a system through a concrete understanding of the concept and its historical and existential development and make thought and existence compatible with each other. In order to turn the knowledge system into something concrete, Hegel changes the foundation of science from fixed transcendental matters to a mediated and negative concept by negating prior concepts and intellectual intuition. In this view, instead of starting from prior and fixed things, which is the condition of knowledge of the concept of the world, science starts from a concept that is considered empty and abstract in the first stage. In this way, knowledge does not start from a definite and actual matter, but from a concept whose only determination is the power and ability to become absolute. According to Hegel, it is this concept that, through its inner negation, dismantles each particle of its former world after another particle and silently matures in a new form. With this statement, Hegel negates any first fixed point that is outside the movement of the concept and conceptual knowledge is based on it, and in this way, everything is determined and known within the concept in motion. This is where Hegel finds the ability to eliminate any dark spots in the history of consciousness and by clarifying the absolute for everyone, destroys the foundation of elitism that Fichte and Schelling's rational intuitions emphasized. Also, by ontologicalizing the concept and relating it to the object-in-itself, Hegel escapes from the skepticism that plagues mental idealism to escape from skepticism.

Jesse Prinz is known as one of the serious defenders of moral sentimentalism. Usually, sentimentalists give little role to moral reasoning in the process of producing moral judgment. But Prinz, unlike others, believes that moral reasoning and emotions both play a role in morality.In this article, after examining Prinz's view on the nature of reasoning, by examining his answers to the following questions, his view on the nature of moral reasoning is extracted:What is the relationship between moral reasoning and the traditional division of theoretical/practical reasoning? Does moral reasoning fit into this division? If so, which of the two types is it?Does moral reasoning have a deductive structure or not? If its structure is inference, which is the type of inference?What is the relationship between moral reasoning and moral generalism and particularism? Does moral reasoning require the use of general principles or not?Can moral reasoning be motivating?What is the purpose of moral reasoning? In other words, what is its function? Literature Review:In his various works, Prinz has written about moral reasoning. But it has not considered the nature of moral reasoning in a coherent way and in an integrated framework. Therefore, it can be claimed that our article is the first writing for a coherent examination of the nature of moral reasoning from Prinz's point of view.

In this article, Prinz's answers to the mentioned questions are extracted from his various writings, then each of these answers will be analyzed and finally, some criticisms that may be made to these answers will be given.

After analyzing Prinz's point of view, we believe that:He considers moral reasoning as a type of theoretical reasoning. Because he believes that moral reasoning is formed to justify moral judgment. So it is not like practical reasoning that leads to action/intention.Like Jonathan Haight, he believes that moral reasoning is presented after moral judgment and to justify it, but he believes that moral reasoning has another function: resolving moral disagreement.According to our analysis, he must have considered the structure of justification in moral reasoning as foundationalism. Because he believes that moral reasoning ultimately ends with fundamental norms that cannot be argued for.We think Prinz considers moral reasoning in the form of allegorical inference or case reasoning. Because he explains the process of justifying a moral judgment by comparing it to a specific example of a category.Prinz seemed not to believe that moral reasoning is based on general rules and principles. Because he does not believe in general moral rules according to the point of view of moral relativism. On the other hand, his view that moral reasoning is case reasoning is consistent with the view of moral particularists.Since Prinz is a moral sentimentalist, then, like David Hume, he must believe that moral reasoning has no motivational effect on action. Because in Prinz's view, since moral judgments are the product of emotions, they are motivating in themselves and do not require moral reasoning.Finally, unlike evolutionary ethics, he does not believe we have an innate capacity for moral reasoning. 

Contrary to what is obtained from the analysis of Prinz's view on moral reasoning, some psychological results indicate that moral agents, at least in some situations, do not use moral reasoning only to resolve moral disagreements, but use moral reasoning to create moral judgments. If this research is true, and these actors act according to this moral reasoning, then moral reasoning is sometimes motivating. On the other hand, according to Prinz's moral relativism point of view, in situations where two moral actors disagree with each other in a fundamental judgment, moral reasoning has practically no function. So, what Prinz has introduced as the function of moral reasoning is a weak function. If these criticisms are true, they suggest, Prinz's analysis of moral reasoning is not entirely without fault. Therefore, either Prinz should start to modify some of his views on moral reasoning or give stronger reasons for his claim.

Ibn Gabirol (a Jewish philosopher of the 11th century CE) enumerates different divisions for the concept of "being" in his book, “Fons Vitae". At first glance, some of these divisions seem incompatible with each other. Based on the findings of this research, Ibn Gabirol considers “being” to be equivalent to “unity”. By focusing on this concept, different divisions of being can be reconciled. God (Unity the Creator) is at the head of the hierarchy of beings and after that, there is “what is possible” (unity the created). Every “possible” is made up of two beings: matter and form. According to Ibn Gabirol, the form is the same as unity, but matter (material being) is neither unity nor plurality, although it can be the subject and sustainer of unity and plurality.

Ibn Gabirol has several different interpretations of the meaning of “being” and its types. On the one hand, he attributes “being” to God or “First Essence”, and on the other hand, he attributes it to “universal matter” and “universal form” and not God. The Jewish philosopher, also, has different interpretations about the value of “being” and its meaning. But how can these different interpretations and statements be united? Is it possible to achieve a coherent philosophy from Ibn Gabirol's ontology?

The issue of "being" in the philosophy of Ibn Gabirol is not raised by the commentators of this philosopher and his book, “Fons Vitae”. Most of the commentators have not tried to specify the type of being of matter and determine its relation to the “universal form” and “First Essence”. It is only “Sarah Pessin” who has tried to determine the place of matter and explain the ontology of Ibn Gabirol in her book: "Theology of Desire". But she has abandoned the duality of matter and form and has considered “universal matter” to be higher and more valuable than form, and this is exactly what is not consistent with Ibn Gabirol's philosophy and the text of “Fons Vitae”.

This article’s method is "structural textualism". In this method, some internal contradictions of a specific text are considered and only based on the text and its content and rules, and without considering external assumptions, it is tried to dissolve the contradictions or solve the problems.

In Ibn Gabirol's ontological system, “matter” has a special place and cannot be compared with Ibn Sina's "quiddity" (Mahiyat). According to Ibn Gabirol, universal matter and universal form are equal and none is superior to the other. Only God is the source and creator of both and for this reason, God is above them. This point of view is opposed to the dominant view of the Platonic philosophers (such as Muslims, Jews, Christians, and even pagans) who consider matter as the source of ambiguity and change, and sometimes equal to privation. Ibn Gabirol has a different view of “matter” and believes that matter has the highest ontological rank after God and is more valuable (dignior) than all beings in the world (from Intelligence to Soul, Nature, etc.).

The foundation of the coherence of the Jewish philosopher's ontology and the relationship between the types of being is the concept of "unity". The statement "being is unity" is the fundamental statement of Ibn Gabirol's ontology. Unity the Creator or God, which is "one", is the unity that is self-sufficient and has inherent consistency. This pure unity emanates its unity to the world. This emanated unity (unity the created) is called “universal form”. But the emanated unity is not self-sufficient and needs a sustainer, which is a “universal matter”. Matter in itself is neither unity nor multiplicity, but the origin of the realization of unity and multiplicity, and for this reason, it is related to unity. All beings in the universe can be analyzed into matter and form. God is "one" or unity that is self-sufficient and is the origin of all numbers or beings. From this self-sufficient being, another “one” is created, which is conjunct with matter. This substance causes the multiplication of this secondary unity and makes different numbers which are created from "one". Therefore, the only beings that have real existence are:The first essence (unity the creator and self-sufficient)
universal form (unity the created and non-self-sufficient)
universal matter (the sustainer of form).
The “First Essence”, which is “pure unity”, is called “absolute being” (esse tantum). The universal form and universal matter are called universal beings (esse universalis) and all other entities that are reduced to matter and form are called beings (esse).
 The relationship between matter and being is as paradoxical and ambiguous as the relationship between matter and unity. Matter is not the substance of unity, but is the sustainer of unity, and for this reason, it is indirectly called “unity”. In the same way, matter is called “being” because of its connection with being.

The concept which is able to solve the problem of “being” in Ibn Gabirol's philosophy is “unity". Just as all beings are numbers and numbers are all created from the repetition of “one”, beings are also the result of the repetition of “being” and finally reduced to universal matter and form and the first essence.

"Divine Hiddenness Argument" is one of the arguments against the existence of God, which has attracted the attention of some religious philosophers in the contemporary era. The introducers of this argument, by referring to some important attributes of the God of monotheistic religions, and the requirements and consequences of accepting these attributes in human life, especially His complete and absolute love for His creatures, try to convince that the real world is devoid of the existence of God, or at least make the possibility of His non-existence appear weaker than the possibility of His existence.
John L. Schellenberg, the Canadian philosopher, has tried to present this matter in the form of various logical arguments in his works, and in his opinion, has tried to make it appear as complete proof against the existence of God. On the other hand, a range of theistic thinkers and philosophers have tried to criticize this argument and show its inadequacy in proving the non-existence of God. This argument is based on the concept and assent principles, whose discussion and analysis will be helpful in the correct understanding of the argument, and the continuation of its criticism.
Although in the works that criticized Schellenberg's “Divine Hiddenness Argument”, useful information about the principles and presuppositions of Schellenberg's argument has been stated, and we have also taken advantage of this information, none of them have discussed this argument from the perspective of assent principles and they have not examined and corrected. In this paper, we are going to investigate Schellenberg's “Divine Hiddenness Argument”.
Principles are the contents and materials on which the problems of science are based, and they can be divided into two parts: concepts and assents. Assent principles refer to propositions that come as an introduction to the arguments and analogies used in a science, and to prove the problems and rules of that science. These propositions are also of two categories: some of them are self-evident, and therefore, do not need proof; while some others are theoretical and need proof, and of course this is done in another science other than assent principles.
The type of assent principles are confirmation and they are propositional and indicate the assent of existence, the truth and reality of propositions, and the issues and subjects of science; in other words, assent principles are issues and reasons that lead to the acceptance of the existence predicables of science problems. In this research, by examining Schellenberg's works, we have tried to extract the assent principles of his interpretations of the “Divine Hiddenness Argument”.

According to the search of valid and indexed scientific documents in scientific sites, so far eight scientific-research articles and two books have been written about the “Divine Hiddenness Argument”. In all of them, the authors have either taken steps in the direction of presenting the “Divine Hiddenness Argument”, or they have mentioned the presuppositions of Schellenberg's argument, but as we will indicate in our research, the assent principles of this argument have not been mentioned by those authors; it is why referring to these principles is considered as the originality of this research, although some researchers have indirectly referred to these principles in their works.

This paper using a descriptive-analytical method, refers to the assent principles of Schellenberg's argument and analyzes them. In the analysis, data is collected from Western and Islamic sources, and rational and descriptive-analytical analysis is used (If necessary).

By examining Schellenberg's works, one can find four assent principles for his argument: 1. the involuntary nature of the belief formation process in humans; 2. God's finality, His incomparability, unsurpassable, and inaccessibility; 3. Ultimism theory; 4. Human free will. The explanation of these matters, along with considerations based on them, will be presented in this research.