Kant’s Epistemology in the View of Contemporary Iranian Philosophers
Subject Areas : Interation of thoughts, effects of philosophers’ ideas on society and future philosophical standpoints
1 - Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Keywords: philosophical encounter with modernity, Islamic philosophy, Kant’s epistemology, perception, Critique, acceptance,
Abstract :
Since about a century ago, our country has been witness to the gradual rise of an important and blessed feeling in philosophical thought: A desire to foster a new atmosphere for philosophical thought. However, another issue has also risen in this period: Can entering a new atmosphere and starting a philosophical renewal be purely based on the essence of philosophical heritage and traditional resources in the modern historical era? The answer is no. For this reason, Iranian philosophers began encountering and conversing with modern philosophical schools or philosophical modernity. In the process of its development and evolution, this encounter featured verbal, political, ideological, and even entertaining aspects. Nevertheless, it gradually distanced itself from the surface and superficiality and moved closer to depth and profundity. Currently, focused attention on this philosophical encounter, along with thorough reporting and analysis, is of utmost importance, as it could give rise to a new school of philosophy in Iran and mark the beginning of the history of contemporary and modern philosophy in the region. Now, the question is if some research is supposed to be carried out on Iranians’ philosophical encounter, which methodology they should adopt to accomplish this task. It is suggested that these studies be specific, detailed, case-based, and limited, so that the multiple aspects of the subject and its strengths and weaknesses can be identified. Moreover, it would be very useful if such investigations and reports also include the related philosophical critiques and evaluations. This paper intends to provide a review and report of a philosophical encounter with Kant’s epistemology that was initiated by one of the six contemporary philosophical trends in the country, namely, the contemporary Islamic philosophy of Iran. The outcomes of this encounter include gaining certain insights and implications regarding Kantian studies, evaluating his ideas, and even potentially accepting them.
