A Comparative Study of the Problem of Evil in Plotinus and Ibn Sīnā (With a Focus on its Historical Aspect)
Subject Areas : Geneology of philosophical schools and Ideas
1 - Associate Professor, Islamic Philosophy and Wisdom Department, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: good, evil, matter, existence, Ibn Sīnā, non-existence, Plotinus ,
Abstract :
The present paper deals with a comparative study of the views of Plotinus and Ibn Sīnā regarding evil. In spite of the existing differences concerning this problem in their philosophies, there are also some similarities, and Ibn Sīnā is influenced by Plotinus with respect to his response to the problem of evil. Among the similarities between them in this area, one can refer to the self-evident nature of the existence of evil, exclusivity of the realization of evil to the world of matter and the impossibility of its realization in the immaterial world, and the non-existence nature of evil and good nature of all beings based on a general view of the world. However, unlike Plotinus, Ibn Sīnā does not consider matter as being essentially evil and non-existential. Rather, he maintains that matter is a correlative, analogical, and existential thing. Plotinus views the relationship between good and evil of the type of opposition, while Ibn Sīnā sees it as a non-existential and habitual one. Moreover, according to Plotinus, matter or the same essentially evil thing is created from the particular spirit. Nevertheless, Ibn Sīnā argues that the essential possibility of the Active intellect causes the emanation of matter, and its otherness necessity aspect results in the emanation of form, on which evil sometimes occurs to.
ابن‌سينا (1326ق) تسع رسائل فى الحكمة و الطبيعيات، قاهره: دارالعرب.
ابن‌سينا (1363) المبدأ و المعاد، تصحیح عبد‌الله نورانى، تهران: مؤسسۀ مطالعات اسلامى.
ابن‌سينا (1375) الإشارات و التنبيهات، قم: نشر البلاغه.
ابن‌سينا (1379) النجاة، تصحيح محمد‌تقى دانش‌پژوه، تهران: دانشگاه تهران.
ابن‌سينا (1400ق) رسائل، تصحیح محسن بیدار‌فر، قم: بيدار.
ابن‌سينا (1401ق) التعليقات، تحقيق عبد‌الرحمن بدوى، قم: مكتب الاعلام الاسلامي.
ابن‌سينا (1404ق) طبيعيات شفاء، تحقيق سعيد زائد، قم: کتابخانه آیت‌الله مرعشى نجفى.
ابن‌سينا (1418ق) الإلهيات من كتاب الشفاء، تصحیح حسن حسن‌زاده آملى، قم: مكتب الاعلام الاسلامي.
ابن‌سينا (2007م) رسالة فى النفس و بقائها و معادها، تحقيق فواد الاهوانى، پاريس: دار بيبليون.
ابن‌رشد (1377) تلخیص کتاب مابعدالطبیعه، تحقيق عثمان امين، تهران: حكمت.
ارسطو (1379) مابعدالطبیعه، ترجمة شرف‌الدین خراسانی، تهران: حکمت.
افلاطون (1398) دوره آثار، ترجمۀ محمدحسن لطفی، تهران: خوارزمی.
بهشتى احمد (1386) تجريد شرح نمط هفتم از كتاب الاشارات و التنبيهات، قم: بوستان كتاب.
شایگان، داریوش (1362) ادیان و مکاتب فلسفی هند، تهران: امیرکبیر.
فلوطین (1366) دورۀ آثار فلوطین، ترجمة محمدحسن لطفی، تهران: خوارزمی.
فلوطین (1413ق) اثولوجیا، تصحیح عبدالرحمان بدوی، قم: بیدار.
دوستخواه، جلیل (1387) اوستا، تهران: مروارید.
پورداوود، ابراهیم (1356) یشتها، تهران: دانشگاه تهران.
هینلز، جان راسل (1385) شناخت اساطیر ایران، ترجمة باجلان فرخی، تهران: اساطیر.
یاسپرس، کارل (1363) فلوطین، ترجمة محمدحسن لطفی، تهران: خوارزمی.
Bowker, J. (1975). Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World. UK: Cambridge University Press.
Dionysius (1987). The complete works. trans. by C. Luibheid and P. Rorem. New York: Paulist Press.
Empiricus, S. (2000). Outlines of Skepticism. ed. by J. Annas and J. Barnes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hickson, M. (2013). A brief history of problems of evil. The Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil. pp. 3-18. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Hume, D. (1993). Dialogues concerning Natural Religion and Natural History of Religion. Edited with an introduction & notes by J.C.A. Gaskin. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
O'Brien, D. (2006). Plotinus on matter and evil. Cambridge Companions to Plotinus. Cambridge University Press
Opsomer, J. & Steel, C.G. (2003). Proclus: on the existence of evils. UK: Cornell University Press.
Plato, (1997). Complete works. Edited with an introduction & notes by J. M. Cooper. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.
Pourtless, J. (2008). Toward a plotinian solution to the problem of evil. Aporia. vol. 18, no. 2. Scotland.
Riordan, W. (2008). Divine light: the theology of denys Areopagite. San Francisco: Ignatius Press.