The Sources of Moral Knowledge in Ibn ʿArabī’s Thought

This article, using a descriptive-analytic method, introduces the ideas of Ibn ʿArabī in moral epistemology while focusing on the sources of moral knowledge and explaining how man utilizes these sources in order to achieve a moral life. The findings of the research show that Ibn ʿArabī considers moral knowledge to be objective and presents the Realm of Fixed Entities (Ayan Thabete) as the thing-in-itself of moral realities. In his writings, though scattered, he clearly considers five things as the sources of moral knowledge: nature, intellect, heart, soul and revelation. However, these sources are not at equal levels and the distinction of revelation and the human soul over the other sources is apparent. Comparing these two sources, one can conclude from Ibn ʿArabī’s writings that revelation is the source of religious legislative guidance and is the result of God’s direct communication with the prophets and is the path of knowledge to perfect unity. God’s special servants (Valīyy-u l-Allah), while perfecting their human souls and possessing special merits in moral knowledge still follow the teachings of the law-bringing prophets in their teachings and actions.

کلیدواژه ها:

meta- ethics ، moral objectivity ، mystic ethics ، Sufism