A Reflection on the Evidences for Personal Unity of Existence
@ Muhammad Ali Mohiti Ardakan /PhD Student of Philosophy/ Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute [email protected]
Muhammad Fanaie Eshkevari / Associate Professor/ Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute [email protected]
Received: ٢٠١٤/١٠/١٧ Accepted: ٢٠١٥/٠٥/٠٩
ABSTRACT
The discussion on 'unity of existence' (with innumerable interpretations provided for it) is among the most complicated discussions in mysticism and philosophy. It is based on the mystic's intuition and has its roots in centuries before the advent of Islam. The present article is seeking to investigate the arguments for personal unity of existence, using the descriptive-analytical method and with a critical approach. It first explains the claim of personal unity and its distinction from gradational unity of existence in philosophy, and then investigates the most important arguments for unity of existence; and at the end, it mentions some principles for better understanding of the mystics' claim about personal unity of existence. The arguments for personal unity can be classified in four groups: intuition, consecutive report of this intuition, Quranic verses and traditions, and rational arguments. It seems that intuition may be introduced as the best evidence for the claim of personal unity, of course if its content is precisely the same as what the personal unity claims. The independence of practical mysticism from precise understanding of this issue in theoretical mysticism, the necessity of accepting plurality, the distinction between God and the creatures, and negation of incarnation and union are among the principles that must be specially considered in the discussion of personal unity of existence.
KEYWORDS: unity of existence, mysticism, philosophy, plurality, argument.
The Cause - Effect Necessity in Ayatullah Fayyazi's View
@ Sayyid MuhammadJavad MirJa'fari Miandehi / PhD Student of Philosophy/ Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute jmj١[email protected]
YarAli Kurd Firuz-jaie / Associate Professor of Philosophy/ Baqer al-Ulum University
Received: ٢٠١٤/١٢/٠٢ Accepted: ٢٠١٥/٠٦/١٩ [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The cause and effect necessity is one of the important branches of the causality principle. Generally speaking, it means the necessary existence of the effect when its ultimate cause exists (necessity by comparison), and because of it (necessity by the other). This necessity, also called philosophical determinism, is quite endorsed and established by philosophers. Some theologians, especially the Ash'arite, however, completely reject it. Usūlīyīn (scholars of the principles of jurisprudence) accept this necessity just in non-free causes. Ayatullah Fayyazi rejects the anterior necessity by the other (according to its famous interpretation) in all causes, whether free or non-free; however, he maintains that this type of necessity is true in both cases with another interpretation. Necessity by comparison, in his view, is just acceptable in non-free causes. Ayatullah Fayyzi's view in negating some forms of necessity, though consistent with the views of theologians and scholars of the principles of jurisprudence, is basically different from them. Here, we have dealt with these distinctions in detail.
KEYWORDS: cause, effect, necessity, free-will, Ayatullah Fayyazi.