Philosophy and Shi'ism: Two sides of the same coin?

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1 Scopus citations

Abstract

It is often argued that there is an intimate connection between Islamic philosophy and Shi'i culture. It is certainly true that most Islamic philosophers were Shi'i, and parts of the Shi'i world appear to be far more sympathetic to philosophical enquiry than is the case in a Sunni environment. An explanation of this could be that most Islamic philosophers are from the Persian cultural sphere, which became Shi'i, and those national origins and not the doctrinal divide could be the relevant factor. It could also be that since some of the Sunni world became antagonistic to philosophy, enthusiasm for it was a potent way to oppose that world. Finally, it is sometimes argued that Shi'ism is particularly close to mysticism and so to philosophy, but this is difficult to accept since all kinds of Muslims have been attracted to tasawwuf and the latter does not seem to be linked with any particular doctrinal division in Islam. The conclusion is that there is no discernible reason for the apparent fact that philosophy is more integrated in the Shi'a as compared with the Sunni world.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5-16
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Shi'a Islamic Studies
Volume9
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016

Keywords

  • Corbin
  • Islam
  • Mysticism
  • Persianate
  • Philosophy
  • Shi'ism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cultural Studies
  • History
  • Religious studies
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science and International Relations
  • Law

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