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Having seen that the Bahá’í Writings actually encourage philosophical studies, it is only natural to ask about the benefits of such studies. As I see it, there are three ways in which philosophy can help us in our lives as Bahá’ís. Philosophy can help us (1) gain a better understanding of the Writings themselves, and most notably those numerous passages which are of a specialized philosophical nature; (2) improve our ability to teach, explain, and defend the Writings; (3) facilitate dialogue and bridge-building with other faiths and various influential intellectual schools especially those with highly developed philosophical foundations, e.g. Judaism Catholicism, Islam, existentialism and Marxism. Our personal development and our ability to serve the Faith are enhanced.
The first benefit of philosophical studies is that they improve our understanding of the Writings, and particularly those numerous passages which are philosophical in nature. This benefit is conferred indirectly and directly. Indirectly, philosophical studies sharpen our thinking skills, which, like any other human capacity must be exercised or they will weaken. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “Everything is either growing or declining” (Some Answered Questions, p. 223) and our intellectual skills are no exception. Here are some of the vital reasoning skills we use when studying the Writings: understanding reasoning and arguments; identifying implicit connections among seemingly unrelated ideas; analyzing analogies and metaphors; identifying underling principles and presuppositions; drawing inferences and asking penetrating questions. (Remember the Feast of Questions!) When we apply these various intellectual skills and our philosophical knowledge to the Writings our comprehension inevitably increases.
This becomes especially evident when we encounter passages that are clearly philosophical in nature. For example, in discussing the immortality of the soul, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says,
Some think that the body is the substance and exists by itself, and that the spirit is accidental and depends upon the substance of the body, although, on the contrary, the rational soul is the substance, and the body depends upon it. If the accident—that is to say, the body—be destroyed, the substance, the spirit, remains. (Some Answered Questions, p. 239)
If our comprehension of this passage is to penetrate below the surface level, we must have at least some knowledge of the philosophical terminology involved, e.g. “substance” and “accident.” Indeed, if we probe even more deeply, we will also be able to see that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statement shows how to resolve the famed mind-body that has dogged neuroscience and philosophy for so long. Furthermore, a grounding in philosophy can also facilitate our understanding of the various proofs of God that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offers in Some Answered Question and The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Such understanding is especially useful in our times when militant atheism is gaining in popularity. Finally, philosophical knowledge deepens our comprehension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s arguments against metaphysical materialism, pantheism and Christian incarnationism as well as our understanding of his teachings on epistemology and the ontological issues involved in the doctrine of emanation. Finally, it is worth noting that some philosophical background assists us in seeing more of the underlying connections that unify the teachings into one coherent whole that provides guidance for thinking and living in the new age.
It’s only appropriate to begin a blog about philosophy, the Bahá’í Writings and the Philosophy Special Interest Group with questions: Why philosophy? What can philosophy do for us as individual Bahá’ís and for the Cause as a whole? Why a Philosophy SIG? Why not do something else of more immediate value? Besides, isn’t philosophy just something that “begins and ends in words”? (Unfolding Destiny, p. 445).
No doubt those of us with an interest in philosophy have asked ourselves these questions and heard them asked by family, friends and acquaintances. So, I shall try to outline some answers in hopes that readers will add others that we can reflect on and discuss.
For this, the first of my entries, I’ll start with the one I’ve heard the most – the partial quote from Shoghi Effendi. Here’s the full statement:
Philosophy, as you will study it and later teach it, is certainly not one of the sciences that begins and ends in words. Fruitless excursions into metaphysical hair-splitting is meant, not a sound branch of learning like philosophy.” (Unfolding Destiny, p. 445.)
One thing is clear from this: the Guardian is obviously not objecting to philosophy per se but only to certain styles of philosophizing, apparently those marked by exaggerated emphasis on technique and procedure. Indeed, he praises philosophy as a “sound branch of learning.” In the same vein, he states,
It is hoped that all the Bahá’í students will follow the noble example you have set before them and will, henceforth, be led to investigate and analyse the principles of the Faith and to correlate them with the modern aspects of philosophy and science. (Compilations, Scholarship, p. 17)
Not only does this provide an excellent recommendation for the study of philosophy but it also provides a clear direction in which to take our studies, namely, correlation with “modern aspects of philosophy.” This opens up a lot of possibilities. Finally, we should note that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also recommends the study of philosophy:
All mankind must be given a knowledge of science and philosophy — that is, as much as may be deemed necessary. All cannot be scientists and philosophers, but each should be educated according to his needs and deserts. (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 108).
He recognizes that not every one can be turned into a ‘philosopher’ but he does recognize that some level of philosophical knowledge is necessary for all.
In reflecting on the subject of philosophy and the Faith, we should remember Shoghi Effendi’s statement that the Faith is a “living religion” and “not merely a philosophy.” (Arohanui, p. 88). We must not fall into the trap of reductionism, i.e. of treating the Writings as philosophical text for debate for its own sake; the Writings are not just a series of prompts for discussion. Rather, they are divine revelation for understanding in as much depth as we can and for application in our lives. Yet undoubtedly, the Writings have philosophic aspects, just as they have social, economic or psychological aspects. Of course, as divine revelation the Writings transcend all of these necessarily partial approaches.
In my next entry I’ll discuss the benefits that a philosophical study of the Writings can provide.
Welcome to the website of the Philosophy Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Association of Bahá’í Studies. The purpose of this website is to make available papers that have been presented at the annual conferences of the Association for Bahá’í Studies (ABS). Inspired by the following words from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, we may think of this website as an intellectual garden:
Consider the flowers of a garden: though differing in kind, colour, form and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth unto their beauty. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 291)
Here we will find many and various flowers of thought all of which are grounded in the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh but all of which manifest this revelation in a different way. Making these papers available will accomplish four things. First, it will build a public record of what has actually been accomplished by the Philosophy SIG at ABS.
Second, it will permit those who could not attend the Bahá’í Studies conference or the Philosophy SIG sessions to read the various papers. In addition, it will allow those who did attend to refresh their memories of what was said.
Third, it will encourage response papers, discussion and blogging about the subjects raised in the presentations, or even other matters related to philosophy and the Bahá’í Writings. Hopefully such discussions will become on-going year-round debates since the Writings are incredibly rich with resources for such studies and discussions.
Finally, it is hoped that the site will inspire more Bahá’ís and seekers with philosophical interests to present papers (no matter how short) at future Association for Bahá’í Studies conferences. We need more flowers in the garden!
Ian Kluge,
Philosophy SIG Coordinator
by Mikhail Sergeev, Ph.D.
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Epistemological Views of ‘Abdu’l-Bahái
“Whatever the intelligence of man cannot
understand religion ought not to accept.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Introductory Remarks
It became traditional in modern philosophy to begin the exposition of any philosophical
system with a thinker’s take on epistemological issues. The son of the founder of Bahá’í Faith and
the leader of the new religious movement after the death of his father, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was not a
systematic philosopher and he did not write a treatise on the theory of knowledge. He touched upon
epistemological problems, however, in the context of various religious and philosophical topics he
had been discussing in many of his talks and books.
Continue reading Epistemological Views of Abdu’l-Baha
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