Conceptual Unity of Divine Attributes in Islamic Teachings: A Study of Ibn Sina's View

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran,

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

In the history of human thought, no fundamental issue has compelled man to ponder as much as the cognition of God, which is impossible except through His attributes, and the answer to which has been a serious demand of thinkers of every age, especially philosophers. In Islamic philosophy, Ibn Sina's thought, which as the most influential and stable ideas in the field of philosophy has caused profound intellectual changes, has special advantages in this regard. In the present article, by modeling his philosophical opinions in the space of Shiite thought, we explain how Ibn Sina's views on the basic issues of divine names and attributes i.e. "identity of attributes with essence", are related to his specific theory i.e. "conceptual unity of attributes". The research finding is that according to Ibn Sina's view, the "identity of attributes with essence" is in fact the basis of the theory of "conceptual unity of attributes" and the connection between the two subjects is essential. Therefore, Ibn Sina, based on a precise understanding of the "identity of attributes with essence", proposed his own theory on the "conceptual unity of attributes" and, contrary to the opinion of opponents and critics, explained and proved it with various arguments and statements.

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References

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Religious Research
Volume 10, Issue 19
July 2022
Pages 30-49

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