Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Philosophical Instructions

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

• Translator’s Introduction
• The Author
• The Translation
• References
• Part I: Introductory Discussions
• Lesson One: A Glance at the Course of Philosophical Thought: (From Its Origins to the Islamic Epoch)
• The Beginning of Philosophical Thought
• The Appearance of Sophism and Skepticism
• The Period of the Flourishing of Philosophy
• The End of Greek Philosophy
• The Dawn of the Sun of Islam
• The Development of Philosophy in the Islamic Epoch
• References
• Lesson Two: A Glance at the Course of Philosophical Thought (from the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century)
• Scholastic Philosophy
• The Renaissance and the Comprehensive Change in Thinking
• The Second Phase of Skepticism
• The Peril of Skepticism
• Modern Philosophy
• The Fundamentality of Experience and Modern Skepticism
• Kant’s Critical Philosophy
• Lesson Three: A Glance at the Course of Philosophical Thought (in the last two centuries)
• Objective Idealism
• Positivism
• Rationalism and Empiricism
• Dialectical Materialism
• Pragmatism
• A Brief Comparison
• Reference
• Lesson Four: The Technical Meanings of “Science” and “Philosophy” 
• Introduction
• Homonymity
• The Technical Meaning of “Science”
• The Technical Meaning of “Philosophy”
• Scientific Philosophy
• Reference
• Lesson Five: Philosophy and The Sciences
• The Philosophy of the Sciences
• Metaphysics
• Science, Philosophy, Metaphysics and The Relations among Them
• The Division and Classification of the Sciences
• The Standard for Distinguishing among the Sciences
• Whole and Universal
• The Branches of the Sciences
• Lesson Six: What is Philosophy?
• The Relation between Subjects and Problems
• The Principles of the Sciences and their Relationships with Subjects and Problems
• The Subjects and Problems of Philosophy
• The Definition of Philosophy
• Lesson Seven: The Position of Philosophy 
• The Essence of the Problems of Philosophy
• The Principles of Philosophy
• The Aim of Philosophy
• Lesson Eight: The Method of Philosophical Inquiry 
• The Evaluation of the Rational Method
• Analogy, Induction and Deduction
• Rational Method and Empirical Method
• Conclusions
• The Scope of the Rational and Empirical Methods
• Lesson Nine: The Relation between Philosophy and the Sciences
• The Relations among the Sciences
• The Assistance given by Philosophy to the Sciences
• The Assistance given by the Sciences to Philosophy
• The Relation between Philosophy and Gnosis (‘Irfān)
• The Assistance given by Philosophy to Gnosis (‘Irfān)
• The Assistance given by Gnosis (‘Irfān) to Philosophy
• Lesson Ten: The Necessity of Philosophy 
• The Man of the Age
• Social Schools
• The Mystery of Humanity
• The Solution to Some Problems
• Part II: Epistemology
• Lesson Eleven: Introduction to Epistemology 
• The Importance of Epistemology
• A Brief Overview of the History of Epistemology
• Knowledge in Islamic Philosophy
• The Definition of Epistemology
• References
• Lesson Twelve: The Self-Evidence of the Principles of Epistemology 
• The Nature of the Dependence of Philosophy on Epistemology
• The Possibility of Knowledge
• A Survey of the Claims of the Skeptics
• The Rejection of the Doubts of the Skeptics
• Lesson Thirteen: The Divisions of Knowledge
• In Search of the Cornerstone of Knowledge
• The First Division of Science
• Knowledge by Presence
• The Reason Behind the Infallibility of Presentational Knowledge
• The Concomitance of Acquired Knowledge with Presentational Knowledge
• Gradation in Knowledge by Presence
• References
• Lesson Fourteen: Acquired Knowledge
• The Necessity for the Survey of Acquired Knowledge
• Idea and Affirmation
• Elements of the Proposition
• Divisions of Ideas
• Universal Ideas
• A Study of Universal Concepts
• A Response to a Doubt
• A Survey of Other Views
• References
• Lesson Fifteen: Types of Universal Concepts
• Types of Intelligibles
• Characteristics of Each of the Types of Intelligibles
• Respectival (I‘tibārī) Concepts
• Ethical and Legal Concepts
• Ought and Ought Not
• Legal and Ethical Subjects
• References
• Lesson Sixteen: Empiricism
• Positivism
• A Critique of Positivism
• The Priority of Sensation or Intellect
• Lesson Seventeen: The Role of the Intellect and Sensation in Ideas
• The Fundamentality of the Intellect or Sensation for Ideas
• The Table of the Categories
• Critique
• Inquiry into a Problem
• Lesson Eighteen: The Role of the Intellect and Sensation in Affirmations
• Points about Affirmations
• Inquiry about a Problem
• Reference
• Lesson Nineteen: The Value of Knowledge
• Return to the Original Problem
• What is Truth?
• Criteria for the Recognition of the Truth
• Inquiry into a Problem
• The Criteria of Truth and Falsity of Propositions
• The Case Itself (Nafs al-Amr)
• Lesson Twenty: The Evaluation of Ethical and Legal Propositions
• Features of Ethical and Legal Knowledge
• The Criterion for the Truth and Falsity of Evaluative Propositions
• A Review of the Most Famous Opinions
• Inquiry about a Problem
• Answer to an Objection
• Relativism in Ethics and Law
• The Difference between Legal and Ethical Propositions
• Part III: Ontology
• Lesson Twenty-One: Introduction to Ontology 
• Introduction to the Lesson
• Warnings about Concepts
• Warnings about Language
• The Self-evidence (Badāhat) of the Concept of Existence
• The Relation between Existence and Perception
• Reference
• Lesson Twenty-Two: The Concept of Existence
• The Unity of the Concept of Existence
• The Substantival Concept and the Copulative Concept of Existence
• Existence and Existents
• Lesson Twenty-Three: Entified Reality 
• The Self-evidence (Badāhat) of Entified Reality
• Ways to Deny Reality
• The Secret of the Self-Evidence of Entified Reality
• The Source of Belief in Material Reality
• Reference
• Lesson Twenty-Four: Existence and Whatness
• The Relation between the Topics of Existence and Whatness
• How the Mind Becomes Acquainted with the Concept of Existence
• How the Mind Becomes Acquainted with Whatness
• Lesson Twenty-Five: Precepts of Whatness
• Respects of Whatness
• Natural Universals
• The Cause of the Individuation of Whatness
• Lesson Twenty-Six: Introduction to the Fundamentality of Existence
• A Brief Look at the History of the Problem
• Explanation of Terms
• Explanation of the Point of Contention
• The Benefits of the Discussion
• References
• Lesson Twenty-Seven: The Fundamentality of Existence
• Arguments for the Fundamentality of Existence
• Philosophical Metaphor
• The Resolution of Two Doubts
• References
• Lesson Twenty-Eight: Unity and Multiplicity 
• Remarks on Some Issues Pertaining to Whatnesses
• Types of Unity and Multiplicity
• The Unity of the Concept of Existence
• The Graduated and the Uniform
• Reference
• Lesson Twenty-Nine: Unity and Multiplicity in Entified Existence
• Individual Unity
• The Unity of the World
• Lesson Thirty: The Levels of Existence
• Positions on the Unity and Plurality of Being
• The First Argument for Graduated Levels of Existence
• The Second Argument for Graduated Levels of Existence
• Part IV: Causality
• Lesson Thirty-One: Cause and Effect
• Introduction
• The Concepts of Cause and Effect
• The Ways in which the Mind becomes Acquainted with these Concepts
• Types of Cause
• References
• Lesson Thirty-Two: The Principle of Causation 
• The Importance of the Principle of Causation
• The Purport of the Principle of Causation
• The Criterion of the Need for a Cause
• Reference
• Lesson Thirty-Three: The Causal Relation 
• The Reality of the Causal Relation
• Knowledge of the Causal Relation
• Distinguishing Features of Cause and Effect
• Lesson Thirty-Four: The Causal Relation among Material Things
• The Cause of Belief in the Causal Relation among Material Things
• An Evaluation of the Above-mentioned Belief
• The Way to the Knowledge of Material Causes
• Lesson Thirty-Five: The Dependence of the Effect on the Cause
• The Mutual Implication of Cause and Effect
• The Simultaneity of Cause and Effect
• The Persistence of the Effect is also in Need of a Cause
• Lesson Thirty-Six: The Relations of Cause and Effect
• The Homogeneity (Sinkhiyyah) of Cause and Effect
• The Removal of a Doubt
• Unity of an Effect for Unity of a Cause
• Unity of Cause for Unity of Effect
• Lesson Thirty-Seven: The Principles of Cause and Effect
• Some Points regarding Cause and Effect
• The Impossibility of a Causal Circle
• The Impossibility of an Infinite Regress
• Lesson Thirty-Eight: The Efficient Cause
• Introduction
• The Efficient Cause and its Types
• Points Regarding the Types of Agent
• Will and Freedom
• Will
• Freedom
• Reference
• Lesson Thirty-Nine: The Final Cause
• An Analysis regarding Free Actions
• Perfection and Goodness
• The End and the Final Cause
• Reference
• Lesson Forty: The Purposefulness of the Cosmos
• Introduction
• Aristotle’s View regarding the Final Cause
• Criticism
• The Solution to Several Problems
• The Purposefulness of the Cosmos
• Reference
• Part V: The Material and the Immaterial
• Lesson Forty-One: The Material and the Immaterial
• Introduction
• The Meaning of ‘Immaterial’ and ‘Material’
• Characteristics of Corporeal and Immaterial Beings
• References
• Lesson Forty-Two: What is Location? 
• Introduction
• The Problem of Space and Time
• The Difference between ‘Space’ and ‘Spatial Location’ and between ‘Time’ and ‘Temporal Location’
• The Reality of Space
• Reference
• Lesson Forty-Three: What is Time?
• Discussion about the Reality of Time
• Lesson Forty-Four: Kinds of Substances
• Theories about the Kinds of Substances
• Corporeal Substances
• Psychic Substances
• Two Proofs for the Immateriality of the Soul
• Lesson Forty-Five: Continuation of the Discussion of the Kinds of Substance
• Intellectual Substance
• The Doctrine of the Nobler Contingent
• Imaginal Substance
• Reference
• Lesson Forty-Six: Matter and Form
• Views of the Philosophers on Matter and Form
• An Argument for the Aristotelian Theory
• Critique
• References
• Lesson Forty-Seven: Accidents
• Views of Philosophers about Accidents
• Quantity
• Relational Categories
• Reference
• Lesson Forty-Eight: Quality
• The Category of Quality
• Psychic Qualities
• Sensible Qualities
• Qualities Specific to Quantities
• Dispositional Qualities
• Conclusions
• References
• Lesson Forty-Nine: The Reality of Knowledge
• Introduction
• A Review of the Types of Knowledge
• The Reality of Knowledge by Presence
• The Nature of Acquired Knowledge
• The Immateriality of Perception
• Lesson Fifty: The Union of the Knower and the Known 
• Introduction
• The Controversy
• Explanation of the Topic
• Types of Union of Existence
• A Review of the Theory of Ṣadr al-Muta’allihīn
• Inquiry into a Problem
• References
• Part VI: The Immutable and the Changing 
• Lesson Fifty-One: The Immutable and the Changing 
• Introduction
• An Explanation Regarding Change and Immutability
• Types of Change
• The Positions of the Philosophers Regarding the Types of Change
• Lesson Fifty-Two: The Potential and the Actual
• Introduction
• An Explanation of the Concepts of the Potential and the Actual
• The Division of Existents into the Actual and the Potential
• The Relation between the Potential and the Actual
• Reference
• Lesson Fifty-Three: A Continuation of the Discussion of the Potential and the Actual
• The Correspondence of Potentiality and Actuality in the Case of Change
• Infinite Regresses of Material Events
• The Principle of the Necessity of the Priority of Matter to Material Events
• The Temporal Creation of the Material World
• Reference
• Lesson Fifty-Four: Generation and Corruption 
• Introduction
• The Concepts of Generation and Corruption
• The Presence of Two Forms in a Single Matter
• The Relation of Generation and Corruption to Motion
• Lesson Fifty-Five: Motion
• The Concept of Motion
• The Existence of Motion
• Problems Raised by those who Deny the Existence of Motion and their Solution 
• Lesson Fifty-Six: Properties of Motion 
• The Constituent Factors of Motion
• The Features of Motion
• The Requirements of Motion
• Lesson Fifty-Seven: Divisions of Motion 
• Introduction
• Divisions of Motion on the Basis of Acceleration
• The Evolution of the Moved due to Motion
• Lesson Fifty-Eight: Motion in Accidents
• Introduction
• Spatial Motion
• Motion in Position
• Motion in Quality
• Motion in Quantity
• Lesson Fifty-Nine: Motion in Substance
• Introduction
• Objections to Substantial Motion
• Answers to the Objections
• Arguments for the Existence of Substantial Motion
• Lesson Sixty: Further Discussion of Substantial Motion 
• A Reminder of Some Points
• Types of Substantial Motion
• The Relation between Substantial Motion and Actuality and Potentiality
• The Continuity of Substantial Motion
• Vertical Continuity
• Horizontal Continuity
• Part VII: Theology
• Lesson Sixty-One: The Way to Know God 
• Introduction
• The Science of Theology and its Subject
• The Innateness of Knowledge of God
• The Possibility of Demonstrating the Existence of God
• Demonstrations from Cause to Effect and from Effect to Cause
• References
• Lesson Sixty-Two: Demonstrations of the Necessary Existent
• Introduction
• First Demonstration (The Argument from Contingency)
• The Second Demonstration (Ibn Sīnā’s Demonstration)
• The Third Demonstration (Mullā Ṣadrā’s Demonstration)
• References
• Lesson Sixty-Three: Tawhīd
• The Meaning of Tawhīd
• Tawhīd in the Necessity of Existence
• The Negation of Actual Parts
• The Negation of Potential Parts, Time and Space in God
• The Refutation of Analytic Parts
• Reference
• Lesson Sixty-Four: The Unity of Divine Actions
• Introduction
• Unity in Creation and Lordship
• Unity in the Emanation of Existence
• The Refutation of Compulsion and Delegation
• Lesson Sixty-Five: The Divine Attributes
• Introduction
• The Limits to Knowing God
• The Role of Reason in Knowing God
• Positive and Negative Attributes
• Attributes of Essence and Attributes of Action
• Lesson Sixty-Six: Attributes of Essence
• Introduction
• Life
• Knowledge
• Knowledge of Essence
• Knowledge of Creatures
• Power
• References
• Lesson Sixty-Seven: Attributes of Action 
• Introduction
• Hearing and Seeing
• Speaking
• Will
• The Concept of Will
• The Reality of Will
• Wisdom and the Best Order
• Reference
• Lesson Sixty-Eight: The Purpose of Creation 
• Introduction
• Purpose and Final Cause
• Some Points
• The Purposefulness of God, the Supreme
• References
• Lesson Sixty-Nine: Divine Decree and Destiny 
• Introduction
• The Concepts of Destiny and Decree
• A Philosophical Explanation of Destiny and Decree
• Levels of Action
• The Relation of Destiny and Decree to Human Volition
• The Benefits of this Discussion
• Reference
• Lesson Seventy: Good and Evil in the Cosmos
• Introduction
• The Concepts of Good and Evil
• A Philosophical Analysis of Good and Evil
• The Secret of the Evils of the Cosmos