Modern Iranian Philosophy

<i>Modern Iranian Philosophy: From Ibn Sīnā to Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī</i> is a concise overview of developments in Iranian philosophy from ancient times to the seventeenth century emphasizing the era beginning with Ibn Sīnā and ending with Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī.<br><br>The text places Iranian philosophy within the framework of Islamic philosophy details the emergence of a popular theology stemming from interaction between Zoroastrianism and Islam and addresses efforts to establish Shīʿite orthodoxy.<br><br>The book explains Mullā Ṣadrā's theory of existence and its contribution to Twelver Shīʿite orthodoxy. It explores Mullā Ṣadrā's al-Asfār its structural makeup and assesses the effect of Ṣadrā's theory on the Islamic Republic of Iran created by Ayatollah Khomeini.<br><br>In addition the material offers valuable insight into contemporary events through chapters addressing the meeting of east and west.<br><br>Scholarly and sensitive <i>Modern Iranian Philosophy</i> is appropriate for upper-division undergraduate courses. It can also be used in graduate level courses and as a tool for researchers.<br><br> <b>Iraj Bashiri</b> received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He is a Professor of History at the University of Minnesota where he teaches Ancient Iran among other courses. His published works include <i>The Ishraqi Philosophy of Jalal al-Din Rumi</i> <i>The Fiction of Sadeq Hedayat</i> <i>Prominent Tajik Figures of the Twentieth Century</i> and <i>Samanids and the Revival of the Civilization of Iranian Peoples</i>. <br /><br />Dr. Bashiri's work <i>Impact of Egypt on Ancient Iran</i> offers a new view of the interaction between ancient Persia and Egypt while his interpretation of Firdowsi's <i>Shahname</i> brings the mythical hero-saints of Iran to life. He is a recipient of the CLA Distinguished Teaching Award and is currently involved in research on the philosophy of Mulla Sadra Shirazi.