Document Type : Original Article

Author

• seyed Reza Moazzen

PhD in Transcendental Philosophy, University of Isfahan.,Department of Islamic Philosophy, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, university of Esfahan, Esfahan, Iran

Abstract

There are some discursive arguments that justify the proposition that the intellect and the intelligible are one unified thing. One scholar who has paid attention to this proposition is Avicenna. The examination of this proposition is one of the key principles of Avicenna’s epistemology. In his al-Mabda’ wa al-Ma’ad, Avicenna agrees with the justifying arguments for the proposition, but in his other works he seriously disagrees with it. As a prominent researcher, Lahigi deeply looked into the issue and after the description of Avicenna’s view, he criticized Avicenna’s propositional justification in al-Mabda’ wa al-Ma’ad.

Viewing the importance of the earlier study in the light of the later study, the author has reported Lahigi’s view and criticism of Avicenna. In the course of his study, Lahigi has demonstrated that Avicenna’s true view on the intellect-and-intelligible union is to disagree with it and his agreement in al-Mabda’ wa al-Ma’ad along with his suggested arguments is only on the face of it. The approaches of the two philosophers to the issue reveal how they have conceived the concept of union. Accordingly, they have sought for the union of two concepts, rather than two modes of existence.

Keywords

• Avicenna
• Fayyaz Lahigi
• union
• the intellect-and-intelligible union
• epistemological justification

Main Subjects

• Islamic philosophy