Author: F Nasrollah Sobhi
Where did Philosophy go wrong?
When Voltaire said: “superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them,” did he really have any idea where philosophy would lead to in the 21st century? Philosophy started with questions on metaphysics and ontology. It posed questions on the origins of being, and the casualty between objects and events. It aimed at investigating…… Continue reading Where did Philosophy go wrong?
Set membership
At the beginning of the 20th century, the German mathematician Gottlob Frege was attempting to define the whole of arithmetic in logical terms by means of set theory. At this time it was assumed that there were no restrictions on the conditions that could be used to define sets. The problem, recognized by the British…… Continue reading Set membership
Custom, right or wrong?
Herodotus in his Histories recounts a story: ‘When Darius was king of Persia, he summoned the Greeks who happened to be present at his court, and asked them what they would take to eat the dead bodies of their fathers. They replied that they would not do it for any money in the world. Later,…… Continue reading Custom, right or wrong?
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
Imagine you have been imprisoned all your life in a dark cave. Your hands and feet are shackled and your head restrained so that you can only look at the wall straight in front of you. Behind you is a blazing fire, and between you and the fire a walkway on which your captors carry…… Continue reading Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
Islam and Progressiveness of Time
Mortiza Motahhari, a Shia philosopher and scholar, gives an interesting distinction between how Islam and time are not contradictory forces, but even are complementary. He suggests the assumption that Islam, like Christianity and other ancient religions, is an archaic object that cannot evolve since it is by its religious nature, an ideology sent by God,…… Continue reading Islam and Progressiveness of Time
What is Sharia really?
The application of Islamic laws and doctrines in Islamic societies, involves realizing the definition of the term sharia and its different implications in Islam’s two major sects: Sunni and Shia sects. Sharia, in general and in Islamic jurisprudence means Islamic laws and regulations that are resulted from Quran and tradition. Tradition is the ambiguous term…… Continue reading What is Sharia really?
