a study of ‘allāma ṭabāṭabā’ī’s viewpoint on knowledge

the late ‘allāma viewed knowledge (‘ilm) as an existential entity and agreed with ṣadr al-muti’allihīn in this respect, saying that knowledge is the presence of an object for an object, i.e. achievement of knowledge for a knower is the achievement of a de facto entity which is pure actuality; since, intuitively, we find that the cognitive form does not have the power to transform into another form. the sensual, imaginative, and intellectual forms are abstract archetypal and intellectual substances which exist in the imaginal world and intellect, within which exists the soul in its archetypal and intellectual rank. the cognitive form is free from matter and faculty and is present with the percipient in its external existence. acquired knowledge is in fact an intellectual validity obtained from the presential object of knowledge. also, the :union: of intelligent, intellect, and intelligible in ‘allāma’s view means that the soul existentially expands and turns into intellectual reality, and perceives the intellectual truths rather than uniting with them. this is different from mullā ṣadrā’s view. ṣadrā says: first the intelligible form appears, and this intelligible form is actual intellect, actual intelligible, and actual intelligent. ‘allāma, however, says: first the illuminationist knowledge of intellectual truth appears, and then intelligible form; that is to say, the acquired knowledge is derived from presential knowledge.