Abstract
The relationship between gnostic experience and reason is a crucial issue in gnostic philosophy. Opinions are varied on this issue. Basically these various opinions can be summarized into two one of which sees the gnostic experience and the reason contradictory, that is, according to this perspective gnostic experiences cannot be explained by reason as they are outside the boundaries of the latter. What comes out of this standpoint is that gnostic experience is not real. The other perspective is that gnostic experiences are not irrational. In contrast, reason can entirely account for these experiences, that is, it regards gnostic experience to be real. The first perspective is denied. For, the stories narrated by gnostic people living in different times and areas on their mystical experiences are the same. In order to solve the issue related to the second view, a couple of solutions are presented. Among them are the theories of multiplicity of viewpoints and that of meanings, which Walter Terence Stace does not accept. Finally, the author, it seems to also find himself in controversy. Thus, he believes that gnostic experiences are contradictory in spite of being real. That is, gnostic experiences are both contradictory and real. Apparently, there are two things that make Stace reach such a conclusion: misunderstanding of the statements that picture Gnosticism as something beyond reason (logic) and rationality, and inadequacy of the foundation of Western philosophy. Considering these issues, this research aims to: 1) determine the role of reason in Islamic sciences; 2) explore the function of theoretical reason in empirical, abstract, and intuitive sciences; 3) present and critically analyse Stace’s theory; 4) clarify the reason behind Stace’s regarding gnostic experiences contradictory to reason after acknowledging them as real; and 5) demonstrate the inadequacy of the foundation of Stace’s philosophy, clarifying the relationship between gnostic experience and reason based on the principles of Mulla Sadra’s transcendental philosophy.
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