Methodology
MOHAMMAD NEZHADIRAN; Rozhan Hesam Ghazi
Abstract
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is one of the most influential contemporary traditionalists, who has provided the major criticism of ideas about modernity. Modern science is one of the most important achievements of modernity that has been criticized through Nasr thought. Nasr approach to modern science does not ...
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Seyyed Hossein Nasr is one of the most influential contemporary traditionalists, who has provided the major criticism of ideas about modernity. Modern science is one of the most important achievements of modernity that has been criticized through Nasr thought. Nasr approach to modern science does not stop merely at the level of criticism, but he tries to introduce an alternative to modern science which is named the traditional knowledge that he believes there is an unbreakable link with sacred and religious beliefs. Nasr tries to explain the concept of traditional knowledge through distinction between traditional knowledge with modern science as it is formulated. This paper examines Nasr approach to criticize and review the book "The Need for Sacred Science" which shows that the concept of traditional knowledge has no historical authenticity. Merely nostalgic reaction to the development of modern science and demythologization consequences of the status quo and modern Brjvam relations have been in the face of the crisis. Survey shows that the philosophical foundations of the traditional knowledge provided by Nasr are inconsistent with the nature of historical sciences. But from a negative approach, it is against the ontological, epistemological, and methodological principles of the science.
Methodology
Mohammadreza Khakigharamaleki
Volume 17, Issue 2 , September 2017, , Pages 53-74
Abstract
The study discuses Professor Seyed Hossein Nasr’s idea of traditionalism; a discourse of traditionalism that seeks to resurrect the divine science relied on divine tradition, perennial philosophy, and intuitive reason. In the negative dimension, acknowledging cognitive, moral, and environmental ...
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The study discuses Professor Seyed Hossein Nasr’s idea of traditionalism; a discourse of traditionalism that seeks to resurrect the divine science relied on divine tradition, perennial philosophy, and intuitive reason. In the negative dimension, acknowledging cognitive, moral, and environmental crises caused by modern sciences and their inefficiency as well, made him criticize these sciences and emphasize a return to the scientific tradition and philosophic heritage of the past. In the affirmative dimension, he emphasizes a return to the divine sciences and production of religious sciences as a savior of the situation. To him, the characteristics of divine sciences are: disassociation between metaphysical dimension and the physical dimension, longitudinal outlook towards the hierarchies of universe, symbolism, traditional scientific language, and avoiding utilitarian outlook. In fact, to return to tradition means to invite to be equipped with the past scientific tradition, to get free from western domination, and to be immune from the invasion of technology waves, social structures, and modern sciences. However such a support for scientific tradition is passive, because it loses to confront with modern sciences intelligently and from the standpoint of power. It is an invitation for solitary in order not to confront with west.
