Abstract

Among the general issues of Islamic philosophy, one which is extensively dealt with and discussed is the issue of mental existence. The origin of this issue is a theological theory which Asharite theologians, such as Fakhr al-Din Razi, have proposed concerning God's knowledge. This theory was later extended to the domain of man's knowledge and propounded in a general form, without any theological color and flavor. It developed its philosophical form in Khwajah Nasir al-Din Tusi's words.The philosophical version of the issue of mental existence has an anti-sophism orientation and concerns the validity of man's knowledge of conceptual and judgmental particulars and the universal issues derived from them. After a critical study of this theory, theoretical philosophers tried to provide a number of new ideas in order to defend or modify it. Surprisingly enough, Fakhr Razi's idea, which had been put forward prior to the philosophical presentation of this issue, is referred to as a solution, though an invalid one, to this problem. After a critical analysis of his predecessors' views concerning the problem of mental existence, Sadr al-Mutaallihin provided a new solution in this regard. His solution has been considered a valid and acceptable one by his succeeding philosophers, whether at his own time or at present.