A Critical Re-Examination of Modernity's Components in New ‎Spirituality Based on the Thoughts of Allameh Tabatabai

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 ‎1. ‎Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Theology and Studies, Farhangian University, ‎Tehran, ‎Iran ‎(Corresponding Author)‎.‎

2 ‎Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy, Institute for Research in ‎Philosophy and Wisdom, Tehran, Iran

10.22081/jsr.2025.68866.1086

Abstract

 
Modernism is based on three fundamental pillars: subjectivism, secularism, and individualism, each of which serves as the epistemological and structural foundation of spirituality in the modern era. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of these three pillars on the epistemic and cognitive aspects of spirituality, based on transcendent wisdom and the thoughts of Allameh Tabatabai. The effects of these three approaches on the characteristics of spirituality are critically analyzed in this study. Using a descriptive-analytical method and library-based data, the research reveals that the subjectivity inherent in modernism has significantly influenced the characteristics of spirituality, with the most important effect being the correlation between epistemic subjectivity and the primacy of the individual's personal understanding in spiritual practice. Secularism, as the second pillar of modernity, by giving precedence to worldly matters and replacing religious beliefs and institutions with secular ones, has led to the characteristic of this-worldly spirituality and its focus on utility. The lack of spiritual communion and inspiration, as a result of individualism, is another impact of modernity on spirituality. This research, in line with the philosophical thought of Allameh Tabatabai, critiques the influence of modernity on spirituality and highlights one of the key pillars of Islamic civilizational progress, proving its immunity from such harms.

Keywords

References

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Islam and Researches about Spirituality
Volume 3, Issue 1 - Serial Number 5
April 2025
Pages 191-224

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History

  • Receive Date: 17 April 2024
  • Revise Date: 26 May 2024
  • Accept Date: 25 January 2025

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