A Critical Study of Man’s Perfection in “Process Anthropology” Emphasizing the Views of Allamah Tabatabaei and Ayatullah Mesbah-Yazdi

Danayifard, Mahdi; Hojjatkhah, Hosein

doi:10.22034/ra.2023.1988542.2855

A Critical Study of Man’s Perfection in “Process Anthropology” Emphasizing the Views of Allamah Tabatabaei and Ayatullah Mesbah-Yazdi

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mahdi Danayifard ¹

Hosein Hojjatkhah ²

¹ PhD Candidate in Faculty of Theology and Islamic Thought, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor in Department of Theoretical Foundations of Islam, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Thought, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/ra.2023.1988542.2855

Abstract

The nature of “Man’s perfection”, as a critical issue in anthropology, has always been inquired into by Thinkers. Holding a particular theist view, the process theologians believe that human perfection is realized by becoming God-like. Though this view is consistent with those of Allamah Tabatabai and Ayatullah Mesbah Yazdi, it departs from them in the quality of Man’s perfection which is validly related to the way God is explicated. The adherent of the process theology believe that God is passible, mutable and evolving thus believe in human perfection in an evolution that emerge as a result of co-dependence on others. Thus, in their view God-likeness is faded and obscured. The current study adopted a descriptive-analytical method in a critical approach to prove that the underpinnings of such a view is unfounded and incompatible with some rational rule such as the impossibility of an infinite regress. Another criticism to which this view is subjected is leaving human perfection dependent upon environmental conditions and equate it with constancy of evolution while unknowing of the ultimate state or purpose of this perfectionism.

Keywords

Process Theology

Anthropology

Allamah Tabatabaei

Man’s Perfections

Mesbah Yazdi