Persia is home to one of the few civilizations in the world that has had a continuous tradition of philosophical thought lasting more than two and a half millennia. From the time Zoroaster brought the Gathas, the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism, until today, it has had a philosophical tradition comprising diverse schools and various languages including Avestan and Pahlavi as well as Arabic and Persian. The West has seen surveys of Persian art and anthologies of Persian literature, but this work is the first to present a millennial tradition of philosophy in Persia in the form of translated selections and introductory sections for each period and figure. Existing translations have been used where possible but most of the selections have been newly translated for this work which, with the help of the explanatory introductions, makes possible an intellectual journey into a philosophical continent much of which has been uncharted for Westerners until now. The fifth and final volume of An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia deals with some seven centuries of Islamic thought stretching from the era following the Mongol invasion to the end of the Qajar period. Organized around the cities which became the main centres of philosophical activity during this long period, the volume is divided into three parts: 鈥楾he School of Shiraz鈥, whose importance not only for Persia but also for Ottoman Turkey and Muslim India is only now being recognized; 鈥楾he School of Isfahan鈥, which marks the integration of some eight centuries of Islamic thought and culminates with Mulla Sadra; and finally 鈥楾he School of Tehran鈥, where traditional philosophy first encountered modern thought in Persia, bringing this series into present times.
List of Reprinted Works
Note on Transliteration
List of Contributors
General Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Prolegomenon, M. Aminrazavi
Part I : The School of Shiraz
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
1. Jal膩l al-D墨n Daw膩n墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
The Treatise of Baghdad (from Ris膩lat al-zawr膩示)
2. 峁dr al-D墨n Dashtak墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Treatise on the Problem of the Liar鈥檚 Paradox (from Ris膩lah f墨 shubhat jadhr al-a峁mm)
3. Ghiy膩th al-D墨n Man峁Ｅ玶 Dashtak墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Man峁Ｅ玶ian Ethics (from Akhl膩q-i Man峁Ｅ玶墨)
Stations of the Gnostics (from Maq膩m膩t al-士膩rif墨n)
4. Shams al-D墨n Khafr墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Treatise on Prime Matter (from Ris膩lah fi鈥檒-hay奴l膩)
Treatise on the Bewilderment of the Learned: The Liar鈥檚 Paradox (from Ris膩lat 士ibrat al-fu岣峚l膩示: Jadhr al-a峁mm)
Part II : The School of Isfahan
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
1. M墨r D膩m膩d
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Sparks of Fire (from 补濒-蚕补产补蝉腻迟)
2. M墨r Findirisk墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Treatise on the Arts (from Ris膩lah-yi 峁n膩士iyyah)
3. Mull膩 峁dr膩
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Four Intellectual Journeys (from al-Asf膩r al-士aqliyyah al-arba士ah)
Metaphysical Penetrations (from 碍颈迟腻产补濒-惭补蝉丑腻士颈谤)
The Unification of the Intellector and the Intellected (from Itti岣ツ乨 al-士膩qil wa鈥檒-ma士q奴l)
4. The Two L膩h墨j墨s
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Pearl of Desire (from Gawhar-i mur膩d)
Lights of Inspiration (from Shaw膩riq al-ilh膩m)
Persian Treatises (from Ras膩示il-i f膩rs墨)
5. Sayyid(pl. s膩da/asy膩d) Arabic term for 鈥榣ord鈥 or 鈥榤aster鈥. It is a pre-Islamic term and refers to a person who possesses dignity or enjoys an exalted position among his people. Amongst… A岣ad 士Alaw墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary on 鈥楾he Book of Healing鈥 (from Shar岣 al-shif膩示)
6. Mull膩 Rajab 士Al墨 Tabr墨z墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
On the Necessary Being (from Ithb膩t-i w膩jib)
The Fundamental Principle (from al-A峁 al-a峁Ｄ玪)
7. Mull膩 Mu岣in Fay岣 K膩sh膩n墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Hidden Words (from Kalim膩t makn奴nah)
Divine Sciences (from al-Ma士膩rif al-il膩hiyyah)
8. Q膩岣嵞 Sa士墨d Qumm墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Mysteries of Worship (from Asr膩r al-士ib膩d膩t)
Commentary on the Enneads (from Ta士l墨q膩t bar uth奴l奴jiy膩)
9. Mu岣mmad 峁⒛乨iq Ardist膩n墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
峁⒛乨iqian Wisdom (from al-岣kmah al-峁⒛乨iqiyyah)
Part III: The Qajar Period and the School of Tehran
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
1. Qu峁璪 al-D墨n Nayr墨z墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
The Measure of Good in the Elucidation of the Subject of Rhetoric (from M墨z膩n al-峁w膩b dar shar岣-i fa峁 al-khi峁乥)
2. Mull膩 Ism膩士墨l Kh膩j奴示墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
On the Refutation of Illusory Time (from Ib峁乴 al-zam膩n al-mawh奴m)
3. Mull膩 士Al墨 N奴r墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Glosses upon 鈥楾he Secrets of Verses鈥 (from Shar岣 asr膩r al-膩y膩t)
4. 岣つ乯j墨 Mull膩 H膩d墨 Sabzaw膩r墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Commentary on a Philosophical Poem (from Shar岣 al-man岷撆玬ah)
5. Mull膩 士Abd All膩h Zun奴z墨
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Divine Flashes of Light (from Lama士膩t-i il膩hiyyah)
6. 膧q膩 士Al墨 Mudarris 峁琲hr膩n墨 (Zun奴z墨)
Introduction, S. H. Nasr
Marvels of Wisdom (from Bad膩yi士 al-岣kam)
7. 膧q膩 Mu岣mmad Ri岣嵞 Qumsha示墨
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
On the Oneness of Existence, or Rather, the Existent (from Ris膩lah f墨 wa岣at al-wuj奴d bal al-mawj奴d)
Addendum to the Ringstone on Seth from 鈥楾he Ringstones of Wisdom鈥 on the Topics of Friendship (from Dhayl-i fa峁ａ梗-i sh墨th墨-yi fu峁Ｅ梗 al-岣kam: dar mab膩岣th-i wal膩yat)
8. M墨rz膩 Abu鈥檒-岣san 峁琣b膩峁璦b膩示墨 (Jilwah)
Introduction, M. Aminrazavi
Philosophical Epistles (from Ras膩示il falsafiyyah)
Select Bibliography
Index
Seyyed Hossein Nasr received his early education in Iran and completed his formal studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. He is the author of over five hundred articles and fifty books. He has taught at a number of universities both in the Middle East, including Tehran University, and in the United States and has lectured widely. Since 1984 he has been University Professor of Islamic Studies at The George Washington University.
Mehdi Aminrazavi received his early education in Iran and completed his master’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Washington and his doctorate in Philosophy of Religion at Temple University. He is the author and editor of numerous articles and books, and is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Mary Washington, where he is also co-Director of the Leidecker Center for Asian Studies.