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Philosophical Rationalism in Shia Kalam
Authors: Seyyed Mohammad Ali Dibaji
Number of views: 690
One important question that the emergence of philosophical or rational
Kalam has raised is what rationalism in the so-called Kalami (theological)
schools actually means. This paper investigates the answers to the
aforementioned question in Shi’a Kalam. Also, we have a comparative look
at the philosophical Kalam and the rational one, concluding the identity of
Shi’a Kalam with Shi’a philosophy. In this work, we have referred to three
types of rationalism: personal, Vahmi (imaginal), and Hikmi (philosophical)
rationalism. In short, our answer to the above question would be that, Shi’a
Kalam – specially in Khaje Nasir’s works – is based on Hikmah
(philosophy), and so, rationalism in this school does not refer but to this
approach. This type of rationalism is in contrast to the personal or Vahmi
rationalism. As a matter of fact, Those Mutakalims (theologians), who use
Hikmi rationalism, don’t try to criticize philosophy or elicit from it; they just
try to employ the principles, foundations, and results of Hikmah to explain,
justify, and defend their religious beliefs.