Abstract

It is usually thought that the best way to describe the second order philosophical concepts is to describe them as those concepts that are predicated mentally or in mind, but characterize objects externally. This description has been in widespread use, and has been accepted by many philosophers after Mullasadra. Two contemporary Muslim philosophers, Motahari and Javadi Amolei have made serious endeavors to clarify the description in recent years. Motahari believes that these concepts exist in mind though applicable to things that exist in the external world. His view in fact reflects the traditional view. Ayatollah Javadi Amolei, on the contrary, has rejected the description, and criticized the view on many points. He believes that the second order philosophical concepts exist whenever their subject matter exist externally, things from which they are abstracted and to which they are applied, though their existence is non-substantial and non-concrete. Yet, there exists a relation that relates them to the mind. This article is intended to provide an analysis of the issue, and make some comments on the both views. The article ends with some reference on the theory of “principality of existence" and the effect it can have on a better understanding of the subject.