Volume & Issue: Volume 21, Issue 11 - Serial Number 99, February 2022, Pages 1-354 
Research Philosophy

A Critique on the Book Key Concepts in Eastern Philosophy

Pages 1-18

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.32853.1972

Hasan Ahmadizade

Abstract Today many of orientalists think that philosophy in the eastern cultures has authenticity and the eastern concepts in philosophy and humanities are rooted in this culture. This attitude led them to investigate critically the eastern concepts in philosophy. They also tried to compare them to western philosophical concepts. Oliver Leaman is of the most famous western thinkers that has published different books on eastern philosophy, especially Islamic philosophy. In this article, we will try to investigate critically on one of his books titled Key Concepts in Eastern Philosophy. Leaman in this book gathered different concepts in the eastern philosophies like Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucius, and Islamic philosophy, and explains these concepts according to the eastern texts. One of the most important privileges of this book is that Leaman tries to explain eastern philosophical concepts in their cultural context, but he did not explain some key concepts in the eastern philosophies nor did he explain them shortly.

Research Philosophy

Critical Review on the Book To Welcome Contradiction: An Essay on the Paradox, Contradiction, and Dialetheism

Pages 19-45

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.29126.1694

Mahdi Assadi

Abstract Defending the truth of some contradictions in the actual world by means of Graham Priest’s views, To Welcome Contradiction written by Rahman Sharifzadeh is rarely problematic in the appearance - i.e in the edition. In addition to some suggestions, we have evaluated the content of the book and criticized the views of the author and/or the dialetheists in some cases. We have shown, for example, that the preface paradox and some borderline cases cannot be regarded as true contradictions. Again, there is no need to accept such counterintuitive affairs as negative facts to believe dialetheism. In evaluating the logic of paradox, we have corrected the truth table for the logical negation and implication: instead of saying ‌t = f, ‌p = p and ‌f = t, we must say: ‌t = f ˅ p, ‌p = t ˅ f and ‌f = t ˅ p; and instead of the truth value of p for t→p, p→p and p→f, we must say: t ˅ f. On the basis of such corrections, the objection to the validity of modus ponens rule in the logic of paradox is answered. All in all, the book is a necessary one in Persian.

Research Philosophy

Hegel’s Shadow over Contemporaries: A Critical Review of the Book Understanding Hegelianism

Pages 47-65

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.35363.2165

Muhammad Asghari; Neda Mohajel

Abstract This article reviews the book Understanding Hegelianism written by Robert Sinnerbrink and translated by Mehdi Bahrami and edited by Mohammad Mehdi Ardabili. In this article, we will first analyze the content of the text in the book, regardless of its Persian translation, and mention Hegel's role in European philosophy, especially its role in the formation of French structuralist and poststructuralist thought, and then evaluate Persian translation. Orientalism is one of the best books in our country that can fill the gap caused by Hegelianism in the twentieth century to some extent, although the author of the book is often with his own taste and style of the important French thinker Jacques Lacan, who is part of the thought. It owes itself to Hegel, especially in the sense of "desire," and is one of the book's shortcomings. This article tries to express the advantages and disadvantages of this book with an introduction in order to introduce the author and the importance of his book for the reader and to introduce the form and content of the work and analyze the content of the work. Of course, we have also suggested some Persian terms for the Persian translation.

Research Philosophy

A New Edition Which Is Not So New:A Critique on the Most Recent “Edition” of Avicenna’s Dānešnāmeh-ye ʿAlāyī

Pages 67-85

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.35372.2177

Hanif Amin Beidokhti

Abstract Here, I examined the most recent “edition” of Avicenna’s Dānešnāmeh-ye ʿAlāyī published by Mawlā Publishing house. With this aim, I provided an overview of the editorial and publishing genealogy of the Dānešnāmeh, and then of Mawlā’s edition. I considered a number of errors and shortcomings exhibited by the latter, whilst acknowledging some of its merits. Identifying certain systematic flaws in the editorial techniques that inform Mawlā’s edition, on the one hand, and a structural mistake that has entirely ruined one of the main philosophical innovations of the Dānešnāmeh, on the other hand, I detected that Mawlā’s “edition” is an unprofessional reprint of the previous editions done by Moʿīn, Meškāt and Bīneš. I observed that the long preface to the text bears no relation to the Dānešnāmeh, and provides scholars with no useful insight into either Avicennan philosophy or the Dānešnāmeh. Concluding that Mawlā’s “edition” is woefully lacking, I suggest that it has no advantage over the previous standard editions.

Research Philosophy

A Critical Review on the Book Philosophy of Religious Thought in Islam and Christianity

Pages 87-103

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.38243.2359

Sajjad Behruzi; Mohammad Reza Bayat

Abstract The book Philosophy of Religious Thought in Islam and Christianity in the field of theology is a comparison and compares the structure of Ash'ari Kalam and Catholic theology based on the reading of Thomas Aquinas. The authors of the book have first studied the structure of theological treatises and the origins of Catholic theology by referring to the place of Ash'ari Kalam in Islamic sciences and its historical evolution to be able to compare Ash'ari Kalam and Catholic theology at the level of origins and problem-solving methods. The strengths of this book include: providing extensive information on Ash'ari Kalam and Catholic theology, avoiding mere attention to apparent similarities between Ash'ari Kalam and Catholic theology, and attempting to achieve a common language as the main achievement of the comparison. Some of the weak points of this book are some undocumented explanations, point to some apparent similarities between Islamic Kalam and Protestant theology despite attempts to avoid it, biased judgments, failure to refer to all sources, and failure to follow some rules of the comparative method. Some of the weak points of this translating book are difficulty in reading some passages of the text, ambiguity in translating some sentences, overcoming Arabic idioms, and their lack of explanation.

Research Philosophy

A Critique on the Book Descartes to Leibniz: A History of Philosophy

Pages 105-122

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.35402.2174

Abdurrazzaq Hesamifar

Abstract The book entitled A History of Philosophy written by Fredrick Copleston. This set of books is the main source of teaching history of philosophy in the departments of philosophy at the universities of the country and its volumes have been translated into Persian by some experts in philosophy. Two volumes of this set are dedicated to the Modern philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries: Vol. 4 about Rationalism and vol. 5 about Empiricism. In vol. 4, after a comprehensive introduction in which the general specifications of the modern period have been explained, Copleston has discussed the ideas of the modern rationalists notably Descartes, Pascal, Malebranche, Spinoza, and Leibniz. The important advantages of the book are having the educative form and containing the main ideas of any one of those philosophers. The translator and editor of the book are well-known experts in philosophy, but because of the careless publication of the book, the book contains a lot of formal and contextual mistakes which have not been removed by publishers after several publications. Evaluating the content of the book, this article tries to refer to some defects of it.

Research Philosophy

A Critique on the Book Immanuel Kant

Pages 123-138

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.26447.1587

Mazdak Rajabi

Abstract Immanuel Kant written by Lucien Goldman is one of the most important books published during the 20th century. I explicate its various important aspects concentrating on its reproducing theme which is humanity, society, and their relationship with the universe within Kant’s philosophical thought. The relation of humans, society, and the universe is the most productive problem of modern philosophy; according to Goldman’s book, for Kant it is the most productive problem too. Goldman delineates how the relation of human, bourgeois society and the universe is the most focal point in Kant's philosophy, which has been pervaded throughout the chapters of the book, and I clarify it as well as Kant’s own account of the foregoing problem. Consequently, I recapitulate how most of the following philosophies are differentiated from this problem in addition to the next particular problems during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Research Philosophy

A Critique on the Book Science, Society, Development: Papers on Public Understanding from both Historical and Philosophical Perspectives

Pages 139-157

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.35453.2181

Mohammad Samiei

Abstract Public understanding, an important subject that is less discussed in the available literature, is under scrutiny by the book entitled Science, Society, Development: Papers on Public Understanding from both Historical and Philosophical Perspectives. Using critical rationalism as its main analytical approach, the book attempts to make a correction on the notion of science in the public perspective and also about the definition and necessity of public understanding. Despite the success of critical rationalism in enlightening the public about science, this approach alone is unable in clarifying non-scientific motivations such as political and economic interests behind propagating science. To prevent this shortcoming, we could consider besides critical rationalism some other approaches which help us and the public detect non-scientific motivations and to distinguish between genuine attempts and those who look at science as a means. This paper also discusses some formative points and suggests four complementary additions to the book. Overall, the book is an in-depth and valuable attempt on this subject.

Research Philosophy

A Critical Review on the Book Xenophon’s Socratic Discourse

Pages 159-177

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.35393.2173

Hassan Fathi

Abstract Leo Straus with his writing on Xenophon revives this classical writer’s fame and station, as a Socratic writer, in relation to Plato. According to Straus, we must see Xenophon as more important than Plato as a source for learning about historical Socrates. His Xenophon’s Socratic Discourse (including the English translation of Xenophon’s oeconomicus) does increase our knowledge about both Socrates and Xenophon; moreover, it is an instance of applying Straus’s views on reading philosophical writing by himself in his old age and maturity. Jeyrani’s Persian translation of this work is of acceptable quality. It is an original text accompanied by a valuable interpretation in the classical and modern philosophical literature. His translation can be made better than what it is; and we have proposed something about this, by the way of comparing a few fragments of the text and its translation.  

Research Philosophy

A Critique on the Book Fusus al-Hakam and The School of Ibn Arabi

Pages 179-201

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.7243

Parisa Goudarzi; Zahra Jebraeilzade

Abstract Fusus al-Hakam is written by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi. During the nearly eight centuries since this work was written, many writers have tried to unravel its knots with their descriptions and interpretations. The book Fusus al-Hakam and The School of Ibn Arabi by Abu al-'Ala Afifi is one of the most recent commentaries on Fusus al-Hakam, which was scrutinized in the form of commentaries. In this article, we try to introduce and critique this book translated by Mohammad Javad Gohari. The present book has been written as a "commentary" on Fusus al-Hakam; therefore, not all expressions of Fusus have been studied by the author. In the present book, Afifi has tried to explain in a language understandable regarding the mystical and philosophical issues of Fusus and to solve some linguistic and intellectual difficulties of Ibn Arabi for the western readers who are less familiar with the issues of unity. Therefore, this book can be helpful in understanding the complex issues of Fusus al-Hakam. Another prominent point of this book is the author's lack of prejudice against Ibn Arabi, which has turned him into a fair critic and impartial judge in the evaluation of Fusus. The author also tries to help to better establish them in the mind of the reader by emphasizing and repeating the key topics of Ibn Arabi's view in the book, including the unity of existence, the relationship between the universe and God, and related topics.

Research Philosophy

Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World

Pages 203-226

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.35404.2257

Hamidreza Mahboobi Arani

Abstract Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World by Prof. Iddo Landau, is a warmly written book, rich with instances from the author's life, history, movies and literature. Prof. Landau attempts to offer new arguments and practical advice that make us become and stay alert to the already meaningful aspects of our ordinary lives and show how we can increase it, if necessary. He confronts most prevailing arguments in the literature that renders our life meaningless or insufficiently meaningful, including the arguments based on perfectionism, the existence of suffering and evil, death and total annihilation of our life and even the whole world and etc. According to Landau, these arguments can at most diminish the meaning in our life, not removing it. We, however, can still find many sufficiently meaningful aspects in our life which are ultimately related to the inherent value of our lives. The book, then, ends up building practical strategies to identify and recognize these aspects. In the current article, I will convey the argument of the book, then elaborate my take on the strategies prof. Landau utilizes this to persuade us that there are many sufficiently meaningful aspects in everyone’s life.

Research Philosophy

A Critique on the Book Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault

Pages 227-249

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.36810.2273

Shamsol Muluk Mostafavi

Abstract In Explaining Postmodernism book, Stephen R. C. Hicks examines the historical and intellectual roots of the postmodern movement and shows the influence of Rousseau, Kant, and other philosophers on its creation and growth. From the position of defending the West and the capitalist system, he attacks hard on the postmodern current. He considers it the first coherent and decisive expression of anti-rationalism from Kant onwards and counts for its consequences such as metaphysical anti-realism, epistemological mentality, getting the feeling in the heart of value propositions, and as a result, relativism in the field of knowledge and value and underestimation of scientific work, and etc. The present article intends to critique Hicks' views while providing a summary of his views. An attempt will be made to show how Hicks's view on the unequivocal acceptance of the capitalist order influenced his report of the origins of postmodernism and the current state of the movement, leading to a reductionist and partisan analysis on his side.  

Research Philosophy

A Critique on the Book Philosophical Writing: An Introduction

Pages 251-268

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.36830.2275

Zohre Memari

Abstract This article reviews the book Philosophical Writing: An Introduction by A. P. Martinich, translated by Fatemeh Minaei and Layla Minaei. The purpose of this book is to teach the writing of a philosophical article and not to mention other types of philosophical writing. The book methodically looks at all the necessary details of the philosophical article and gives the reader how to write a precise, understandable and authoritative article. Martinich in this book helps the reader not merely be the reporter of other people's opinions, but first of all, he learns the students how to express his/her thoughts and opinions, to write it, to compare other opinions in relation to it and how to defend his/her opinion. In this paper, after the introduction, a brief overview of the author and translator is presented, and as this book is valuable, so it isintroduced in detail. Then, it's privileges and defects and outcome.

Research Philosophy

A Critical Analysis on the Book The Fundamental Transformation of Greek Philosophy in Dealing with the Way of Islamic Thought

Pages 269-288

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2020.23490.1467

Abbas Ali Mansouri

Abstract One of the important issues in the field of Islamic philosophy is the relation between this philosophy and Greek philosophy. The main focus of the book's discussions is to study this issue. This article is intended to introduce and critique this book. In this regard, we first tried to clarify the content of the book and the main claim of the author. Finally, in the critique, we first briefly reviewed the strengths and attributes of the book and the critique of the book's form, then we entered in more detail about the book's analytical critique. The most important critique of the book is the inadequacy of the evidence and the lack of attention to the rival's arguments. According to the subject matter of the book and its scholarly methodology, it is suggested that higher education institutions consider this book as a text of educational assistance in the PhD degree in Islamic philosophy and comparative philosophy.

Research Philosophy

A Critical Review on the Book Hume’s Aesthetic Theory, Taste and Sentiment

Pages 289-311

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2020.33457.2023

Zolfaghar Hemmati; Seyyed Mostafa Shahraeini

Abstract Townsend’s Hume's Aesthetics Theory, Taste and Sentiment is a critical point in Hume studies. Before that, Hume's commentators hold that his aesthetics was explained only in his short essay entitled as Standard of Taste. But Townsend shows that Hume's aesthetic can be found in other works, such as A Treatise of Human Nature, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Through these books, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of Hume's aesthetics. But, furthermore, he asserts that the main basis of Hume’s philosophical system is his aesthetics, a claim that we found it very controversial. He also shows that concepts of taste and sentiment have an epistemological role in Hume's Aesthetics. But his conclusive interest to aesthetics leads him to give a strange and misunderstanding reading of Hume's philosophy. This book could be better understood as speculation concerning Hume’s philosophical system rather than instructing his aesthetics.

Research Philosophy

A Critical Review on the Book Peripatetic Philosophy (1) (from Aristotle to Thomas Aquinas)

Pages 313-329

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.31432.1888

Hossein Hooshangi

Abstract The book Peripatetic philosophy (1) (from Aristotle to Thomas Aquinas) is an introductory work for undergraduates in philosophy. The prominent merit of this work is taking into consideration of this important philosophical school. The main Advantage of this book is regarding two big philosophical domains: western philosophy and Islamic one. The compiler of the book is seeking to lay down the Peripatetic school historically and substantially (especially in the ontology). In spite of its little content, the book includes all domains of peripatetic philosophy. Therefore, it is now the best one for an introduction to this philosophical school in bachelor degree who study western or Islamic philosophy in universities of our country. In this article, I mention the merits and also point to some deficiencies in it. Problems are classified in four categories: structure, content, edition and reference. Eventually, some mechanisms were proposed for the promotion and perfection of the book to become a better source.  

Research Philosophy

A Critical Review on the Book Mysticism, East and West by Rudolf Otto

Pages 331-354

https://doi.org/10.30465/crtls.2021.35510.2187

Hadi Vakili

Abstract The book Mysticism, East and West by Rudolf Otto, is one of the most important examples of comparative studies of mysticism in the world. The discussion of the East and the West and how they relate to each other is at least for Otto one of the pillars of the philosophy of religion that has been reflected in this book. Otto sees mysticism as the kinship of the east and west. The term “Nominus/ Sacred”, more than anything else, makes it possible for the Eastern-Western look to be used because it can go beyond the history and geography of religions. The nature of the western-eastern philosophy of the comparative religion of Otto first appeared in 1923, in the form of the book of the Holy Idea: The study of the irrational factor in the idea of the divinity and its relation to the rational, and then published more widely and deeply in the Mysticism, East and West, published in 1926. The book, reminding Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s famous book titled West–östlicher Divan (West–Eastern Diwan), discusses mysticism as a phenomenon that is East-West in its nature. Explaining this Western-Eastern phenomenon, Otto compares the Hindu Mystic Shankara to represent eastern mysticism and the Christian Mystic Eckhart to represent western mysticism and seeks to provide a model for understanding the truth of the religion and comparing religious thinkers.