Mirza Mahdi Esfahani and the Role of Intellect in Religious Knowledge: A Review of Critiques

The present study seeks to categorize and explain the many criticisms that have been made about the views of the late Mirza Mahdi Esfahani about the role and place of intellect in human’s religious and divine knowledge. Attempts have also been made to respond to the criticisms based on the principles and teachings of the late Mirza and the different definition he has given of intellect and knowledge. Mirza considers the intellect as an abstract light, simple and out of the truth of man,an independent external being, which is inherently revealed to any intelligent agent when the beauty and ugliness of his actions become clear, and by which he knows particulars. According to him, this definition is based on the literal meaning of the word intellect, noting the appearance and meaning of many verses and hadiths. Many verses and hadiths which, according to critics, indicate the validity and exaltation of intellect and human knowledge, can be carried over to the meaning desired by Mirza. According to his teachings, the light of innate and divine intellect has a graded meaning, the lowest level of which is imparted to all accountable people by God Almighty around the age of puberty. According to him, the guidance of human beings through the sending of messengers and revelation is based on having this innate intellect by those accountable, and the criterion for questioning people and the reward and punishment on the Day of Judgment will be based on the same innate human intellect. In his view, there is no similarity between God and creatures, and reasoning and argument are not effective in the path of divine knowledge and religious teachings because they are based on simile. Regarding the application of reasoning and argument in undivine knowledges, although they do not provide a complete knowledge to human beings, he does not seem to have any particular objection in this regard, because the subject of his discussion has been about the study of such knowledge as religious knowledge and divine knowledge. In the first chapter of this research, after expressing the view of the late Mirza on the definition of intellect and knowledge, the role and position of intellect and human knowledges as well as his percieved intellect and knowledge in religious knowledge are explained. In the second and third chapters, the various criticisms of his views on the human knowledges are categorized into two groups and an attempt is made to answer them according to the principles and teachings of the late Mirza.