Existence and Knowledge

Existence and Knowledge

An Analysis of the Challenges of the Existential Sphere of Conscience in the Thought of Allameh Jafari With Emphasis on Moral Conscience

Document Type : Research Article

Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Ethics, University of Islamic Teachings, Qom, Iran.
Abstract
Many philosophers have discussed conscience—specifically moral conscience—and put forward various perspectives. Among them is Allameh Jafari, who has addressed this issue more extensively than other contemporary thinkers; yet, his works contain a corresponding number of ambiguous and contradictory statements regarding the existential nature of conscience, without offering a resolution to these conflicts. The most significant of these contradictions are that conscience is simultaneously potential and actual; it can weaken without vanishing, yet also cease to exist entirely; it is both singular and manifold; and it possesses an existential mode that is purely cognitive, purely motive, or a combination of both. This article aims to identify, examine, and analyze the aforementioned challenges and contradictions by studying the complete works of Allameh [Jafari] using a descriptive-analytical method. The findings indicate that a superficial comparison of Allameh Jafari’s various statements regarding the existential characteristics of conscience suggests a genuine contradiction in his thought; unless a justification or solution is offered to reconcile these views, his perspective remains ambiguous, contradictory, and incomplete, leaving his final position on the specific existential attributes of conscience unclear.
Keywords
Subjects

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