Methodology

The story of Adam has been a site of debate among religious scholars for various reasons. In this context, examining how commentators engage with the text and articulating their logic of understanding play a significant role in acknowledging the evolution of thought in interpretation. A cognitive triptych by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli regarding the understanding of "The world, human beings, and knowledge" in relation to verses 30-34 can guide us towards this important discourse. The tripartite focus of understanding logic in this story centers on anthropology and defining the characteristics of the perfect human in his relationship with God as the Creator of the Caliphate, and with angels acting as the disciples of the Caliph. From this perspective, the faculty of knowledge of names, which is the source of Caliphate, is endowed in all humans, and the will is the factor that fosters human dignity or conceals it, leading to a fall into bestiality and wickedness. This scene, from a cosmological viewpoint, is transcendent in time and free from the possibility of error, contrasting with the material world as the place of the human elemental body and the origin of its evolutionary movement. In the epistemological dimension, the commentator believes in the existence of levels of knowledge based on the nature of the objects of knowledge across longitudinal realms. Accordingly, the realm of proclamation exists in the intellectual realm and the rights of humans within the status of the self-sufficient being and the realm of the soul. From his perspective, the story of Adam is a case of an external personal matter and informs of a divine and continuous tradition in creating a Caliph on Earth. His departure from the theory of corporeal creation and spiritual permanence in explaining the realms of the soul is also noteworthy in this narrative. The commentator’s statements show the influence of the content of Shia narratives, alongside a prominent application of mystical and philosophical teachings and assumptions

Considering the fundamental role of the intellectual foundations of every theologian in his opinions and theological thoughts, this article aims to examine the epistemological and methodological foundations of two influential theologians in the history of Islamic theology belonging to the two major theological schools, the Shiites (Imamīyyah) and the Muʿtazilites. This research has been done through the descriptive-analytical method, using library resources.  By analyzing the works and ideas of two thinkers, the researchers concluded that both theologians regard the knowledge of God as the primary obligation for every intellectually mature human being. This knowledge is intellectual and even pre-religious in nature. Furthermore, practical reason demands that every individual recognize the true Creator of themselves and the world. Morally, they are also bound to express gratitude to their benefactor.. Reason is not only the foundation of all religious knowledge but one must also seek guidance from the illuminating light of reason in understanding religion, for which the Book and tradition are the most important sources. These two thinkers align in their rational and narrative approaches to understanding religion; however, they differ regarding the function of reason, the relationship between reason and transmitted knowledge (naql), and specific instances within tradition, all of which are examined in this article.

For several centuries, Islamic philosophy has been in a state of "isolation," meaning it has lost its contemporaneity; it neither solves "problem" nor, at the very least, actively and seriously engages with contemporary issues. This paper, while addressing the nature, possibility, and realization of Islamic philosophy; the achievements of Islamic philosophy; and the historical evolution of Islamic philosophy (in early, late, and contemporary periods), distinguishes three types of Islamic philosophy: Islamic philosophy as a concept; Islamic philosophy as an actualized phenomenon (Peripatetic, Illuminationist, Sadrian, and Neo-Sadrian); and the future Islamic philosophy. The future Islamic philosophy is an ideal one, could emerge later, contingent on certain conditions and prerequisites, such as addressing contemporary issues, particularly socio-cultural and practical issues. It seems that the survival of Islamic philosophy and its avoidance of becoming merely historical -in contrast to the idea of the "end of Islamic philosophy"- depends on this. Since the ideal Islamic philosophy is one that solves problem, this naturally requires problem-oriented philosophical research. Thus, highlighting the importance of problem-oriented research; the nature of a problem; and the differences between a problem, subject, question, and difficulty, the paper will propose the most important and central strategies that could actualize the future or ideal Islamic philosophy. These strategies include: philosophical attention to new sciences and technologies; considering the fourth wave in philosophy; engaging with "Philosophy of"; adopting concrete approaches in philosophy; conducting interdisciplinary researches in philosophy; and employing new methods in philosophy.

With the expansion of natural sciences from the 15th century and the stagnation of the humanities in the 18th and 19th centuries, debates emerged among scholars regarding whether the humanities follow the rules of natural sciences or have their own distinct principles. Some thinkers believed that if the humanities adhered to the methodologies of natural sciences, they would be similar to them; others believed that the humanities have their own specific methods. The latter group strove to establish the foundations for legitimizing the humanities. In Iran society, influenced both by philosophical and methodological debates in academic circles and by the ideological and intellectual climate following the intellectual situation of Iran society, various interpretations of the humanities emerged. Among the Iranian thinkers who theorized about the humanities, influenced by these conditions, are Reza Davari Ardakani and Abdulkarim Soroush. The present study aims to examine the concept and methodology of the humanities in the thoughts of Iranian thinkers, focusing on the opinions and ideas of Reza Davari Ardakani and Abdulkarim Soroush. Reza Davari Ardakani and Abdulkarim Soroush, on one hand, were influenced by the intellectual and methodological debates of scientism and hermeneutics in international academic circles and, on the other hand, by the intellectual atmosphere of Iran society, engaged with the subject of the humanities. Reza Davari Ardakani regards the humanities as a product of the crisis of Western modernity, while Abdulkarim Soroush considers humanity method to be the same as that of natural sciences and understands it based on this method.