Suhrawardī’s criticism against peripatetism: a study of the "Book of the Wisdom of Enlightenment"

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Publisher : Novas Edições Acadêmicas -

Portuguese

2014

212

Suhrawardī’s criticism against peripatetism: a study of the “Book of the Wisdom of Enlightenment”

Suhrawardī made a turning point in Arab thought by developing a philosophical model based on a descending order of lights that constitute all that exists. For this, Suhrawardī criticized the Aristotelian concept of definition, demonstrating its insufficiency as a means of knowledge, since the act of classifying, without any foundation in reality, delimits the same reality. In fact, Suhrawardī, in his main work, the Book of the Wisdom of Enlightenment, sought to establish the outlines of his philosophical system, namely the illuminationist philosophy. Suhrawardī places the priority of the existing over existence as he asserts that existence and contingency – and all Aristotelian categories – are only intellectual constructions, without any concrete reality outside the intellect.

Original title : “A crítica de Suhrawardī ao peripatetismo: um estudo do ‘Livro da sabedoria da iluminação’”

Suhrawardī a opéré un tournant dans la pensée arabe en développant un modèle philosophique basé sur un ordre descendant des lumières qui constituent tout ce qui existe. Pour cela, Suhrawardī a critiqué le concept aristotélicien de définition, démontrant son insuffisance comme moyen de connaissance, puisque l’acte de classer, sans aucun fondement dans la réalité, délimite la même réalité. En effet, Suhrawardī, dans son œuvre principale, le Livre de la sagesse de l’illumination, chercha à établir les grandes lignes de son système philosophique, à savoir la philosophie illuminationniste. Suhrawardī pose la priorité de l’existant sur l’existence comme il affirme que l’existence et la contingence – et toutes les catégories aristotéliciennes – ne sont que des constructions intellectuelles, sans aucune réalité concrète en dehors de l’intellect.

Titre original : “A crítica de Suhrawardī ao peripatetismo: um estudo do ‘Livro da sabedoria da iluminação’”

Philosophy

Author(s)

Mateus Domingues da Silva

Professeur d'histoire de la philosophie arabe - Institut Dominicain d’Études Orientales (IDEO), Le Caire.

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