Volume 16, Issue 1 (2024 2024)
JIM 2024, 16(1): 50-68 |
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Boodaghi H, Rasmi S. (2024). The Epistemological and Ontological Foundations of the Theory of Meaning in Ibn ʿArabī’s Mysticism and their Implications. JIM. 16(1), 50-68. doi:10.22034/16.31.7
URL: http://erfanmag.ir/article-1-1524-en.html
URL: http://erfanmag.ir/article-1-1524-en.html
Tabriz University
Abstract: (1283 Views)
One of the central topics explored by mystics is the relationship between meaning and language. In Islamic mystical thought, meaning is often regarded as having an antecedent identity (huwiyyat-i mutaqaddim), contrasting with the modern linguistic perspective that considers words to have primacy over meaning. Ibn ʿArabī delves deeply into the primacy of meaning, conceptualizing it under the framework of the "spirit of meaning." He posits that the meaning of a word represents a singular semantic essence, capable of manifesting across various contexts in a real, albeit gradational, manner. This perspective is deeply rooted in Ibn ʿArabī's theological foundations, which we have analyzed from both epistemological and ontological angles. My hypothesis is that Ibn ʿArabī’s pantheistic approach to meaning, along with its epistemological and ontological underpinnings, leads to distinctive conclusions about the nature of language. While his views often diverge from contemporary linguistic and semantic theories, they reveal certain points of convergence. Among these conclusions is the gradational nature of the act of imitating God, a concept that necessitates new insights into the essence and origin of words. In articulating his views on meaning and language, Ibn ʿArabī ultimately identifies God as the creator of both meaning and words. Furthermore, the idea that the act of imitating God is gradational allows for attributing both the metaphorical and transcendent dimensions of language to God.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
عرفان
Received: 2023/01/12 | Accepted: 2023/04/18 | Published: 2024/12/30
Received: 2023/01/12 | Accepted: 2023/04/18 | Published: 2024/12/30
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