Comparative Analysis of the Epistemology of Reason from the Perspective of 'Allama Majlisi and the School of Tafkik

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Theology, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

In Islamic epistemology, reason (ʿaql) has consistently been a subject of discourse as a principal pillar of knowledge, with diverse perspectives advanced concerning its scope, validity, and role in understanding religion. In the contemporary period, the School of Tafkīk (Separationism), setting aside the human rational faculty, subscribes to "illuminative reason" (ʿaql-i nūrī) or innate reason—conceived as a luminous entity external to material human existence—and restricts its role in religious knowledge to minimal functions, attributing to it a limited number of propositions. ʿAllāma Majlisī, though characterized by a transmission-oriented (naql-garāyāna) approach, regards reason as a valid partner alongside transmission (naql) in religious knowledge—particularly its fundamental principles—and assigns it a broader scope. These differences necessitate a comparative examination of both perspectives to elucidate their commonalities and divergences. Aiming to analyze and comparatively evaluate the epistemology of reason from the viewpoints of ʿAllāma Majlisī and the School of Tafkīk, this study addresses the question: What is the epistemology of reason in these two approaches, and what are their commonalities and differences? Employing a library-based method, this theoretical and problem-oriented study extracts and expounds the views of both parties from original sources, subsequently comparing and evaluating them. Findings indicate that fundamental differences exist between the two perspectives—including the possibility of rational cognition, the validity of theoretical reason, the scope
of reason's apprehensions, and its role in religious inquiry. ʿAllāma Majlisī affirms the validity of these aspects, whereas the Tafkīkīs reject or restrict them. These differences distinguish ʿAllāma Majlisī's perspective from the School of Tafkīk. Contrary to the prevalent assumption of ʿAllāma's absolute traditionalism, his approach to the epistemology of reason is balanced and judicious, regarding reason as coextensive with transmission in religious knowledge. Thus, the fundamental objections raised against the School of Tafkīk do not apply to ʿAllāma Majlisī's perspective, and this approach presents an epistemological model harmonizing reason and transmission

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References

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