Contemporary Philosophy of Iran

The book *”Iran’s Contemporary Philosophy”* authored by Dr. Reza Davari Ardakani, a contemporary philosopher and thinker, is a notable work. Regarding the term “contemporary” mentioned in the title of his book, he stated: “My intent by ‘contemporary philosophy’ is the philosophy we engage with in our books and universities in this era. In the modern age, we adopted philosophy from Europe. By ‘Iranian contemporary philosophy,’ I did not mean that we have a specific school of philosophy in Iran; rather, I meant to examine what this philosophy, introduced into our culture, has done to us, and conversely, what we have done to it.” In the preface to the present book, we read: “Writing about Iran’s contemporary philosophy is difficult in many respects because, apart from obstacles such as the veil of contemporaneity, it does not appear that the philosophy of our time possesses a solid historical foundation. Certainly, in the present century, notable scholars and thinkers have emerged in both Islamic philosophy and modern philosophy. However, the dominant form of Islamic philosophy largely consists of commentaries on past philosophers’ perspectives, particularly the philosophies of Avicenna and Mulla Sadra. What must not be overlooked is that modern philosophy, and especially contemporary philosophy, is global. And we, having a brilliant philosophical history, must be capable of participating in global philosophy. Iran’s contemporary philosophy materializes through such participation, though this philosophy is still undefined. Can we hope for a significant intellectual transformation in the near future? Those devoted to philosophy inevitably must hold on to this aspiration.”