علی تقوی

SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES:  Contemporary societies confront multifaceted ethical challenges—including information warfare, genetic editing, and environmental crises—for which traditional ethical frameworks frequently prove inadequate. This study examines the “Theory of Nominal Equilibrium” (iʿtidāl al-asmāʾī), which draws upon the foundations of Islamic mysticism (ʿirfān) and Quranic ontology to offer an alternative framework for addressing and managing ethical conflicts. METHOD & FINDING:  Employing an analytical-interpretive method, this research investigates the system of Divine Names in Islamic mysticism through reference to the Quran, Hadith, and the works of prominent mystics such as Ibn ʿArabī. It then compares this system with materialist approaches grounded in sustainable development. The study further explores the theory’s application to natural resource management as a practical case study. According to the theory, the roots of ethical conflicts lie in the dynamic manifestations of seemingly opposing Divine Names (e.g., al-Bāsiṭ [the Expander] and al-Qābiḍ [the Constrictor]). These are harmonized and brought into equilibrium under the governance of the all-encompassing Name Allāh, mediated through the role of the Perfect Human (the Divine Vicegerent). The theory attributes intrinsic rights to all existents—not in an axiological or contractual sense, but as ontological manifestations of the Divine Names. In this respect, it diverges significantly from Western anthropocentric models that treat natural resources primarily as property. CONCLUSION:  By incorporating conceptually quantifiable tools inspired by the Divine Names al-Muḥṣī (the Reckoner) and al-Ḥasīb (the Accounter), operationalizable in policy analysis, the Theory of Nominal Equilibrium integrates mystical principles into a coherent framework. This approach offers a distinctive and integrative response to contemporary ethical dilemmas.