PhD. Student of al-Mustafa University and M.A. in Jurisprudence
Abstract
The fact that the knower is existentially weak and the known existentially strong is the greatest challenge for the possibility of knowing Allah. Mulla Sadra deals with this issue in knowledge by presence as well as in knowledge by acquisition. Knowledge by presence includes the knowledge of cause about its effect, the knowledge of an immaterial thing about itself and the knowledge of an effect about its cause. The first two types are detailed presential knowledge whereas the last is short presential knowledge. According to Sadrian thought, the presential knowledge of existents about the necessary being does not have anything to do with the first two types of presential knowledge; it is from the last type of presential knowledge instead. Mulla Sadra believes that it is impossible to know the essence of Allah through acquired knowledge, though it is possible to obtain non-essential knowledge about Him through short acquired knowledge. Despite being deep and profound, Mulla Sadra’s theory suffers from certain defects and flaws which we will touch on in this inquiry.
Ismaeli, M. A. (2016). An inquiry into unknowability of divine essence in Mulla Sadra. Journal of Hikmat-e-Islami, 3(no.1 (Spring 2016)), 23-52.
MLA
Muhammad Ali Ismaeli. "An inquiry into unknowability of divine essence in Mulla Sadra". Journal of Hikmat-e-Islami, 3, no.1 (Spring 2016), 2016, 23-52.
HARVARD
Ismaeli, M. A. (2016). 'An inquiry into unknowability of divine essence in Mulla Sadra', Journal of Hikmat-e-Islami, 3(no.1 (Spring 2016)), pp. 23-52.
VANCOUVER
Ismaeli, M. A. An inquiry into unknowability of divine essence in Mulla Sadra. Journal of Hikmat-e-Islami, 2016; 3(no.1 (Spring 2016)): 23-52.
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