An Analysis and Evaluation of Philosophical Bases of School of Illumination in Terms of Problem of Evil

Abstract

The two main ways to study the problem of evil are as follows: a) studying it as the logical problem of evil or the problem of the compatibility or incompatibility the existence of the God and the existence of evil; and b) evidential problem of evil. Suhrawardi tried to address both of these ways. The most important philosophical bases of the problem of evil in view of Suhrawardi are the following five ones: a) refutation of the humanism; b) accepting evil as a non-being; c) accepting the doctrine of the higher seeking nothing from the lower; d) dividing the contingent things based on the system of good and evil; e) accepting the doctrine that evil is the precondition of existence of higher good. By accepting the said principles, Suhrawardi solved the problem either way. In the first place, he demonstrated that evil is not inconsistent with the God by demonstrating omniscience of the God, and in the second place, he demonstrated that the existence of evil in the world would thus not be inconsistent with the existence of the God.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n1s1p103