معرفت فلسفی

After the emergence of Sadra's philosophy and the proposal of the fundamental theory of the primacy of existence, nearly all Islamic philosophers have regarded essence as a conventional matter and existence as primary. However, we witness various and even contradictory interpretations of this theory among thinkers. Some of these interpretations, from the perspective of certain contemporary scholars, revert to the theory of the primacy of essence. In this context, the divergence between Allameh Misbah and the interpretation attributed to his teacher, Allameh Tabatabai, is particularly noteworthy. The difference in the views of these two philosophers regarding the acceptance of universal natural existence indicates that this disagreement is rooted in their distinct readings of the primacy of existence. When we inquire about the reason for the distance between these two readings of the primacy of existence, we arrive at their distinction in articulating the point of contention. This article, based on an analytical-descriptive methodology, focuses on Allameh Misbah’s specific interpretation of the issue of the primacy of existence and aims to demonstrate how the manner of presenting and explaining the point of contention can contribute to the differences in responses to this matter. Throughout four stages, the point of contention in the issue of the primacy of existence is precisely delineated so that a proper judgment can be made regarding the responses presented on this significant question in philosophy.