Rethinking about “Theory of Welfare” in Islamic Philosophy

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Abstract

Since Welfare, as a philosophical issue, has considered as an indication of man’s highest intellectual status and dignity, it always attracted the philosopher’s attention and they continuously asked weather:
-Did all philosophers agree about the same meaning of welfare?
-Did they agree about its determination and dimensions?
-Can welfare from the philosophical meaning contain religious or ethical concepts?
This intellectual status although from ordinary definition and conceptual aspect is partially accepted, but its external determination was always controversial and caused diverse approaches between philosophers among them the following are notable: unity with luminous forms, connection with Active intellect, representation of existing world within theologian soul, and taking welfare as personal experience of mystic. All these approaches agree that welfare is the only product of philosophical knowledge and purity of soul from non-rational pleasures.

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