Intellectual Movements in Iran - Philosophy Education in Iran

Philosophy Education in Iran

Philosophy has become a popular subject of study during last few decades in Iran. Comparing the number of philosophy books currently published in Iran with that in other countries, Iran possibly ranks first in this field but it is definitely on top in terms of publishing philosophy books. Currently different approaches are working in a diverging fields of philosophy:

• 1. Traditional Persian Islamic philosophy. traditional classic philosophy revived after a period of silence, in Tehran School, and notably works of Agha Ali Modarres Zonoozi in early 20th century, after him both schools of Tehran and Ghom (with the works of Allameh Tabatabai and Imam Ruhollah Khomayni) activated philosophical debates. Nowaday, Islamic philosophy is the most fresh period all over the world in Iran all the way after Sfavid school of Isfahan. The most notable figures of our time include Allameh Hossein tabatabaii, Allameh Rafiai Gazvini, Mehdi Hayeri Yazdi, Falatouri, Hasan zadeh Amoli, Morteza Motahhari, Abolhasan Jelveh, Mohammad tagi Amoli, allameh hossein Gharavi Isfahani (kompani), Ibrahim Ashtiyani, Jalaloddin Ashtiyani, Kazem assar.

• 2. Western philosophy. The Western philosophy is mostly welcome to Iran in the 19th century, but its full development began in 1970s, with the reactive movement against the left political thought of Soviet sect of Toodeh party, most notably by refutation of their Marxist-Leninist works (typically in Tagi Arani's works). The leading figures include Allameh Tabatabai, and his pupil Morteza Motahhari. Also Ahmad Fardid and his Circle who introduced phenomenology and very specifically Martin Heidegger to Iranian Academia. His pupils like Reza Davari, Dariush Shayegan who are now among famous Iranian philosophers developed his way to interpret modern conditions in Iran. Today the most dominant branch of Western philosophy in Iranian academia is Continental philosophy; The domination of the department of philosophy of the University of Tehran over the teaching of philosophy with laying on Islamic philosophy and Continental philosophy put it ahead of philosophy education in Iran. Department of philosophy of the University of Tehran traditionally is the top place of the greatest philosophers in secular education system in Iran; among the philosophers of the University of Tehran to be named are Reza Davari, Ebrahimi Dinani, and Mahmoud Khatami whose influences are clear all over students of philosophy. Reza Davari who is a philosopher with great debates on Modern condition, intellectualism and enlightenment ranked as the leading Persian philosopher with anti-Western approach. His ideas challenge the defender of Western culture and notably the defender of analytical philosophy and scienticism. Dinani is a defender of Islamic philosophy who also talks about the west; Mahmoud khtami, who is commonly considered as a phenomenologist, is ranked as a totally scholar with no political sign who teaches analytical and continental philosophies in the university, but he has developed a different philosophy of his own that is called . However, analytical philosophy is also introduced in Iran in 1970s by the translations from British Empiricism, and then, in 1980 to the present an increasing interest is in students of philosophy to learn more from this 20th-century branch of philosophy. Very specifically, analytic philosophy of science and social science, and moral philosophy introduced by Abdolkarim Soroush in early 1980s, and followed by others. Philosophy of mind introduced to Iranian academia by Mahmoud Khatami, and philosophy of logic and philosophy of language introduced by Hamid Vahid Dastgerdi. Philosophy of religion is also most welcome branch with the Iranian scholars.

• 3. Comparative philosophy is a tendency in Iranian scholarship.
• 4. Traditionalist (sonnatgera)is also an approach introduced by Hossein Nasr.