Ma`rifat Falsafi

On account of the depth and complexity of its intuitions, mystical experience raises some questions for philosophers entering the province of philosophy of mysticism .One of such questions is that mystical doctrines such as particular unity are paradoxical .According to mystics, things are both the reality of existence and the non-reality of it and their intuitions (e.g .the idea of God )are both one and many, determined and undetermined, manifest while hidden and hidden while manifest. Are these statements that originate from mystical intuitions, really or apparently paradoxical? Based on identity and the law of non-contradiction reason will not be compatible with the above statements (if they are really paradoxical )and as a result reason will not be able to penetrate mysticism understanding its objective realities and arguing for them .Thus the question is whether or not mysticism is compatible with reason and philosophy .In general, is mysticism rational or irrational? W.T .Stace has treated of this problem in chapter 5th of his book, mysticism and philosophy .This paper tries to mention and study Stace’s points of views.