Essays in Philosophy of Religion (Jostarhaye Falsafeh Din)

Abstract There is an essential premise in most modern modal ontological arguments for God's existence, called possibility premise, which stipulates that ‘it is possible that a perfect being (or God) exists’. In this paper first three famous versions of modern ontological arguments are presented; those are arguments proposed by Norman Malcolm, Charles Hartshorne and Alvin Plantinga, which all are based on St. Anselm's argument in chapter three of Proslogion. After that some of the important criticisms of the possibility premise are discussed, we will show that this premise, which seems self-evident, might have some serious problems

Abstract If we leave rational paradigm of thought and go in to emotional one, the problem of evil is not logical or philosophical anymore, but it is existential. The simple form of this problem is that the relationship with God above all relations needs trust, safe, and satisfaction. But the problem is that the people who are suffering are not psychologically able to continue loveing and worshiping God. They are not satisfied with God and feel God's silence and absence. Logical answers (defences) and philosophical answers (Theodicies) are totally irrelevant and donot work at all. Man in this situation doesnot nead reason or argument but meaning. The meaning of suffering can gives his relation with God meaning again. In this paper we review on some meaning of suffering which Christian theologian find to solve the existential problem of evil.

Abstract The problem of eternity of the soul in the hell, and sustainability in the divine punishment is among the most important theological and doctrinal issues which has drawn the attention of Muslim thinkers from the beginning. Mulla Sadra indicated the problems concerning the issue, and tried to answer them. He wants to prove the sustainability of unbelievers in the hell, so he rejects any kind of account which holds punishment un-sustainability. But as the article points out, his proof is insufficient and could not yield the sustainability. 

Abstract This paper reviews and evaluates the Heidegger's lecture course titled ‘identity and difference’ about Hegel's philosophy. This study has attempted to explain Heidegger's understanding of the basic components of Hegel's thoughts concerning ‘the problem of identity and difference’ ‘a principle of thought’ and ‘the onto-theo-logical constitution of Metaphysics’ and the relation between modern metaphysics and nihilism at the result of that. According to Heidegger, Hegel's metaphysics is onto-theo-logic and his principle of thought absolutely appears as absolute idea. And also the modern nihilism is raised as the consequence of this thinking about metaphysics. But Heidegger attempts to resolve the problem of identity and difference by a thought which called ereignis. At the end I conclude that Heidegger pattern for the problem of identity and difference cannot completely resolve all contradictions. However, his thinking about the emergence of  ‘full and pure Being’ can promised new landscape in which Being appear in its unconditional form and it is the only way to save us from the concealment of locus of the sacred.

Abstract In recent years, different versions of the moral argument for existence of God are formed and presented. The argument from moral objectivism of CS Lewis is one of them. Lewis by appealing to the common moral orders and laws in human life and by considering ethical Quarrelling, moral criticism, and human excuses when he or she is failed to obey moral laws, asserts the objectivity of moral orders and values. Then he establishes the basis of his moral argument regarding the difference between the nature of the moral law and natural law. While Lewis seeks for the basis of the objective moral rules he shows that the only real basis for moral judgments is a great mind. This Article reviews lewis's moral argument and then evaluates it.

Abstract The nature and possible neural correlations of religious experience is one of the latest fields of study in the neurological studies. Neuroscientists in this field are attempting to achieve exact understanding of the nature of religious experience as a cognitive function through the study of mediating structures which lead to religious experiences emergence. In This article considering neurological studies of religious experience, two prevailing approaches in this field of study are discussed. In the first approach, religious experience is considered as malfunction of neural structures, and in the second one it is the result of natural process of neural structures of brain. While reviewing neurological studies that have done in these approaches, we analyze and criticize the neurological study of religious experience under five titles, the aim and domain of the study, the conceptual vastness of religious experience, first-person orientation of religious experience, the ontological distinction, and the complexity of performance and neural structure of brain. It seems that neurological study of religious experience is faced with numerous problems and limitations