Philosophical Thinking (تفکر فلسفی), Qom, The High Association of Islamic Wisdom, 2021.
To introduce this book, we quote part of its preface with slight modifications: One of the wonders of philosophy is that one of its most engaging and contentious topics is philosophy itself—its nature and status. While each science discusses issues related to its subject matter, it is rare for a discipline to investigate its own identity. The study of philosophy, or inquiry into the nature, rationale, and method of philosophy, is a kind of meta-philosophy or philosophy of philosophy—a topic that is itself part of philosophy.
Numerous questions and ambiguities surround the nature, value, and significance of philosophy. Some of these include: What is philosophy? What is its scope? What is its benefit? Is it necessary to study philosophy? What is the method of philosophical thinking? What is the relationship between philosophy and other sciences? What impact does philosophy have on other fields? What is the relationship between philosophy and religion?
The various chapters of this book seek to address such questions. The content is drawn from discussions, notes, and writings—both brief and extended—that have been published in journals and news agencies.
The book is organized into seven sections, each focused on a core theme: the nature of philosophy, the history of Islamic philosophy, teaching and research in philosophy, contemporary Islamic philosophy, philosophy and the human and social sciences, “Philosophobia” and rejection of philosophy, and the relationship between philosophy and religion.