Ma`rifat Falsafi

The division of intelligibles (ma‘qūlāt) into primary and secondary is one of the innovations of Islamic philosophers. Unlike some Islamic philosophers in this tradition who have taken either 'concept' (mafhūm) or 'accident' (‘āriḍ) as the basis of this classification, professor Fayazi considers 'meaning' (ma‘nā) to be the genus of intelligibles. From his perspective, a primary intelligible is a meaning that has the potential to correspond to an external reality. In contrast to the view that equates primary intelligibles with essential (quiddative) concepts, professor Fayazi holds that primary intelligibles embrace not only quiddative meanings but also philosophical ones. One of the hallmarks of the robustness of professor Fayazi’s philosophical school is the coherence between his philosophical doctrines -including the classification of intelligibles- and his ontological foundations. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, this paper seeks to address the question: "How do ontological principles influence whether philosophical meanings are regarded as primary or secondary intelligibles?" Although this topic has been implicitly addressed in the writings of various philosophers, it has not been examined independently. Professor Fayazi, however, has explicitly referred ,on multiple occasions, to the role and impact of ontological foundations, such as the primacy of existence, the reality of non-being, and the mental existence of non-quiddative concepts.