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Showing 4 results for Existence
Farhang Mozafar, Hadi Nadimi, Abouzar Salehi,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (9-2017)
Volume 5, Issue 2 (9-2017)
Abstract
A review of the history of architectural conservation implies that ontological attitude of scholars and theorists in the field of historic places› conservation is one of the most important principles of conservation theories. Those features of historic places which are considered as more significant at the moment of recognition are often turned into an issue for conservation. However, there is not a clear understanding of such an issue, especially its theoretical basics, in Iran›s today community.
Accordingly, this paper explores the ontology of historic places by relying on Transcendental Wisdom ascribed to Sadr al-Moto›alehin Shirazi and based on the doctorine of «Principality of the Existence» which offers an explication of the existence of material beings. In this line, the mentioned relations between «material and form», «form and meaning» and «extrinsic and intrinsic aspects of things» in the system of Transcendental Wisdom and also the theory of Substantial Motion and its explanation apropos the fluid existence of material beings and finally transcendentalism›s conceptualization of the relation between «existent» and «being» in the world›s system are the main views taken from such a philosophy. In all, since this study is in line with Sadraei›s philosophy it enjoys analytical-philosophical nature and employs logical reasoning and analogical methodology.
Respectively, the historic place is scrutinized from three aspects. The first aspect refers to such a place «as a single measurable totality» whereas the other two aspects regard it «as a changeable totality» and «as an element within the contextual measures».
With respect to the first aspect, the existence of the historic place is considered as a measurable element enjoying several levels of emergence. These levels constitute the triple aspects of meaning, form (and its extrinsic determinations) and material. Also, corresponding to each aspect, the historic place gains some measures. Consequently, regarding the measures of any historic place, we can talk about the measures referring to meaning, form (intrinsic and extrinsic measures) and material.
Moreover, among these levels, each level is more significant than the lower levels representing the existence of the historic place. In other words, the existence of the historic place is manifested in its intrinsic form and meaning more than anything else and the material as well as the extrinsic determinations of the form are simply the manifestations or, in a word, the context for the emergence of the historic place›s existence. However, a historic place is finally a single entity which has existential integrity and the aforementioned levels are not separate from each other in reality.
Then, the temporality and mixing of the historic place›s existence with change is considered. In this respect, relying on the theory of Substantial Motion, the historic place is regarded as a «changeable totality» and evolving issue mingled with time. In this respect, the historic place is a fluid entity, not an object, which is a permanent becoming; it is a gradually-occurring matter and is like an entity scattered in time whose past and future constitute different parts of a single entity. Thus, in reality, we cannot talk about persistence and consistency in the existence of the historic place and just the issue of continuity in its existence can be raised. This continuity is possible due to the becoming on the orbit of measures referring to its particular existence. But the question that other than the measures of the historic place in the mentioned triple aspects what other measures referring to its particular existence can be found paves the way for paying attention to another aspect of its existence.
In this aspect, the historic place is considered not as a single totality but as a part of its surrounding world which can be the world in the broadest scope. It is argued that simply recognizing the elements within the existence of the historic place cannot provide full knowledge of it and it is necessary to consider its inevitable relation to the environment or more general context. Accordingly, the historic place as an entity becomes the manifestation of «being» and its validity depends on such a manifestation. In this aspect, the historic place becomes the manifestation (relatively speaking) of the names and attributes of the being and the regularities originated from it and, consequently, it is located under the existential systems of the world and its manifestations in the natural as well as the cultural world. These systems or orders have some manifestations in the nature such as a number of laws referring to qualitative and quantitative aspects of the place (meaning, form and material). In this respect, the cultural measures and orders receive their validity via corresponding to existential systems and thus they can be used as a criterion for the existence of the historic place.
In general, from the perspective of this study, the historic place is first and foremost an «integrated totality and objective measurable entity which changes permanently» while its particular measures (in the triple levels of meaning, form and material) are located under the existential systems manifested in the natural as well as cultural rules. It should also be considered that the validity of the historic place›s existence depends on its capacity to manifest the existential systems. Thus, the constant and necessary matter in it is the very orders or existential measures manifested in it which can be called «the aspect of being» or «Allah›s aspect» in a word.
Dr Samaneh Taghdir,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (9-2021)
Volume 9, Issue 3 (9-2021)
Abstract
Cognition towards creation and perception process of architecture is an important and complicated subject of architectural realm. Despite numeral related researches of recent decades, some of the aspects of this subject are still unknown. Considering the fact that proper cognition of this process could create the groundwork of quality improvement in architectural pieces and will help to find solutions for many of the architects’ assumed problems, the issue of this research is about reviewing the structure of creation and perception process in architectural pieces on the basis of transcendent wisdom. In order to do this, the strategy of logical reasoning has been selected. At the first step of this research, an accurate description of human, existence and their aspects and capacities is defined, and then the interaction between human and existence and its refection on creation and perception process in architectural pieces is analyzed on the basis of transcendent wisdom as the theoretical foundation of this research. Since transcendent wisdom asserts on the fact that God created the human as himself when it got to the sense of creativity, and that the most perfect creation of God is the world of existence, this research will also review the creation process of the world, making a pattern to define the creation and perception process in architectural pieces in five steps. The main components of this structure include: the soul grade of architect and spectator, and their Appearance powers (vision, smell, hearing, taste, touch) and their internal powers (Hes-E-Moshtarak, Motesarefeh, Vahemeh, imagination, memory), Architectural categories (form, function, meaning, design & construction, tissue and cohesion, mood and will), and quadripartite needs of human (physical needs, psychical needs, rational needs, spiritual needs)
Finally, Identifying the effective factors of this process on the quality of architectural pieces will lead to presented suggestions of this research which can improve the quality of this process. Results show that by considering the comprehensive foundations of Islamic thoughts as the theoretical foundation of Architectural researches will help to suggest solutions for complicated problems of architectural realm.
Finally, Identifying the effective factors of this process on the quality of architectural pieces will lead to presented suggestions of this research which can improve the quality of this process. Results show that by considering the comprehensive foundations of Islamic thoughts as the theoretical foundation of Architectural researches will help to suggest solutions for complicated problems of architectural realm.
Dr. Saeed Alitajer, Eng. Fatemeh Mohammad Ali Nezhad,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (4-2025)
Volume 13, Issue 1 (4-2025)
Abstract
Schema is a concept rooted in the theoretical background of Psychology, and it has been applied in various fields such as educational sciences, computer sciences, and architecture, yielding valuable results. In architecture, studies indicate that the richness of architects' mental schemas significantly influences their design success. However, in certain works of Islamic architecture, it is noted that this mental richness and the schemas developed by the architect are expressed in such a way that their comprehensive nature cannot be fully articulated through psychological theories. Thus, clarifying the nature of architects' mental schemas through the lens of Islamic philosophy becomes essential. To this end, this research considers the theories of Mullah Sadra, an Islamic philosopher, as a theoretical framework and poses the following questions: Which aspects of psychologists' views on schema align with Sadra's perspective, and which diverge? In schema theory, which philosophical principles and foundations of Sadra's epistemology have been overlooked? Furthermore, what constitutes a new and more comprehensive definition of architects' mental schemas?
Given that the concept of mental schemas has evolved in the field of psychology and entered architecture, this research aims to redefine the mental schemas of architects based on Sadra's philosophy and compares the two perspectives.This research is foundational and employs a comparative approach, with data gathered through library studies. Initially, the research compiles data on the theory of mental schemas from developmental and cognitive psychology, alongside Sadra's philosophical and epistemological framework, to identify similarities and differences between the two perspectives. Subsequently, the cognitive actions of architects in perceiving and creating architectural works are analyzed in conjunction with the findings from the first step through logical reasoning.
The comparison of the concept of mental schemas in the philosophy and epistemological system of Sadra reveals commonalities between the two views. However, it also sheds light on new aspects and limitations of schemas that have not been previously explored in the field of psychology. These aspects are particularly relevant in the context of perception and creation of architectural works. Among the main commonalities between these two views, we can identify the relationship between the object and the mind, the change and expansion of perceptions in a hierarchical system, doubt in the perception of a perceptible phenomenon. Also, the role of schema as a descriptive and Procedural knowledge in the process of perception can be considered in accordance with Sadra's epistemological system.
Among the differences found, three main ones can be mentioned. First, in the schema theory, the epistemic source of the heart has not been seen, while in the philosophy of Sadra, through intuition, man can achieve a more sublime perception and enrich the concepts stored in his own mind. In addition, in schema theory, the progress from one stage to another in the process of cognition is considered through abstraction, while in Sadra's philosophy, interpretation occurs based on essential movement and According to each level of existence in which a person is present, can achieve the perception of the phenomenon in a corresponding level. A perception that includes all perceptions in lower levels and reveals a level of truth. Another difference is that Sadra defines the essential movement of the soul in the upward course of knowledge, a course converging towards the highest level, which is the level of the Supreme Truth, but in the schema theory, no single goal has been seen for the hierarchical system of schemas.
Therefore, architects should be familiar with the levels of existence in the perception of the natural and artificial environment so that they can expand and deepen their schemas by going through the levels of perception according to the levels of existence. Also, in the stage of designing and creating architectural schemas, they should pay attention to intuitive perception and by raising their level of existence, discover meanings and bring them down to the level of the world of sensations through the body of architecture. Finally, with this comparative study, the mental schemas of architects can be redefined as follows:
The mental schema of architects is a mental- intuitive existence with a connected and coherent structure that results from connecting the architect with different worlds of existence and represents two types of descriptive and Procedural knowledge. Descriptive knowledge refers to interpretation of a schema of existence, which is obtained after the process of ego development in the arc of ascent. A process in which the soul has a essential movement through progressive and converging levels from multiplicity to unity and increasing understanding of the only truth of existence. This knowledge along with intuitive knowledge, as a Procedural knowledge in the arc of descent, help the architect in discovering a new mental schema and transferring meaning to the material body of architecture.
Given that the concept of mental schemas has evolved in the field of psychology and entered architecture, this research aims to redefine the mental schemas of architects based on Sadra's philosophy and compares the two perspectives.This research is foundational and employs a comparative approach, with data gathered through library studies. Initially, the research compiles data on the theory of mental schemas from developmental and cognitive psychology, alongside Sadra's philosophical and epistemological framework, to identify similarities and differences between the two perspectives. Subsequently, the cognitive actions of architects in perceiving and creating architectural works are analyzed in conjunction with the findings from the first step through logical reasoning.
The comparison of the concept of mental schemas in the philosophy and epistemological system of Sadra reveals commonalities between the two views. However, it also sheds light on new aspects and limitations of schemas that have not been previously explored in the field of psychology. These aspects are particularly relevant in the context of perception and creation of architectural works. Among the main commonalities between these two views, we can identify the relationship between the object and the mind, the change and expansion of perceptions in a hierarchical system, doubt in the perception of a perceptible phenomenon. Also, the role of schema as a descriptive and Procedural knowledge in the process of perception can be considered in accordance with Sadra's epistemological system.
Among the differences found, three main ones can be mentioned. First, in the schema theory, the epistemic source of the heart has not been seen, while in the philosophy of Sadra, through intuition, man can achieve a more sublime perception and enrich the concepts stored in his own mind. In addition, in schema theory, the progress from one stage to another in the process of cognition is considered through abstraction, while in Sadra's philosophy, interpretation occurs based on essential movement and According to each level of existence in which a person is present, can achieve the perception of the phenomenon in a corresponding level. A perception that includes all perceptions in lower levels and reveals a level of truth. Another difference is that Sadra defines the essential movement of the soul in the upward course of knowledge, a course converging towards the highest level, which is the level of the Supreme Truth, but in the schema theory, no single goal has been seen for the hierarchical system of schemas.
Therefore, architects should be familiar with the levels of existence in the perception of the natural and artificial environment so that they can expand and deepen their schemas by going through the levels of perception according to the levels of existence. Also, in the stage of designing and creating architectural schemas, they should pay attention to intuitive perception and by raising their level of existence, discover meanings and bring them down to the level of the world of sensations through the body of architecture. Finally, with this comparative study, the mental schemas of architects can be redefined as follows:
The mental schema of architects is a mental- intuitive existence with a connected and coherent structure that results from connecting the architect with different worlds of existence and represents two types of descriptive and Procedural knowledge. Descriptive knowledge refers to interpretation of a schema of existence, which is obtained after the process of ego development in the arc of ascent. A process in which the soul has a essential movement through progressive and converging levels from multiplicity to unity and increasing understanding of the only truth of existence. This knowledge along with intuitive knowledge, as a Procedural knowledge in the arc of descent, help the architect in discovering a new mental schema and transferring meaning to the material body of architecture.
Ahmad Ekhlasi, Hamid Mozaffar, Samaneh Taghdir,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2025)
Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2025)
Abstract
"Islamic centers" are one of the most important symbols of the presence of Muslims in non-Muslim countries and are very important in terms of identity. Also, on the other hand, these centers are considered the cultural representative of the Muslim community in the public opinion of the host society. Therefore, how they are designed is of particular importance. The aim of this research is to find principles for the design of Islamic centers that will lead to the preservation and strengthening of the identity of Islamic culture and the improvement of coexistence with the host communities.
This research first identified the dimensions of the problem by examining the previous studies and it was determined that the two concepts of "identity" and "coexistence" are the main issues in this research. Then, the concepts of "identity" and "coexistence" in the architecture of Islamic centers were examined based on the model of place components in the three axes of "meaning", "physical form" and "activity". The focus of this research is on examining the issue of "identity" and "coexistence" from the point of view of Muslim users; Therefore, in order to get a more comprehensive and accurate view, a questionnaire tool was used. Due to the fact that following this research, the researchers wanted to design an Islamic center in England, a questionnaire was conducted among Muslims living in England. This questionnaire includes closed and open questions and was conducted with the aim of identifying and investigating the needs, views and visual preferences of the Muslim community. The results of this research were obtained based on comparative analysis of questionnaire results and library studies and previous researches of researchers in this field.
The result of the research is presented in the form of a strategic model in three axes "Meaning", "Physical Form" and "Activity", which presents principles in each section that can be applied in design to "improve the coexistence of Islamic centers with the host society." and "preserving Islamic identity" help Islamic centers. The results of this research indicate that the use of symbols of Islamic values in design by creating an opportunity to express identity, reduces the feeling of deprivation and increases the sense of acceptance in the society in the Muslim minority, and causes a reduction in cultural tensions and an increase in the sense of belonging. closer to the national culture of the host country. On the other hand, trying to use visual elements and common values will reduce the sensitivities of the host society and better communication with the Muslim population. By using a convergent approach, Islamic centers can play a role both as a religious center for Muslims and as a cultural center for the whole society. This can lead to the strengthening of Islamic culture and the attractiveness and improvement of the image of Islamic culture and Muslim society in the public opinion of the host society. As a result, "identity" and "coexistence" are not two concepts independent of each other, so in order to achieve "stable cultural coexistence with the host society" while "preserving Islamic identity", both aspects should be considered in the design of Islamic centers.
This research first identified the dimensions of the problem by examining the previous studies and it was determined that the two concepts of "identity" and "coexistence" are the main issues in this research. Then, the concepts of "identity" and "coexistence" in the architecture of Islamic centers were examined based on the model of place components in the three axes of "meaning", "physical form" and "activity". The focus of this research is on examining the issue of "identity" and "coexistence" from the point of view of Muslim users; Therefore, in order to get a more comprehensive and accurate view, a questionnaire tool was used. Due to the fact that following this research, the researchers wanted to design an Islamic center in England, a questionnaire was conducted among Muslims living in England. This questionnaire includes closed and open questions and was conducted with the aim of identifying and investigating the needs, views and visual preferences of the Muslim community. The results of this research were obtained based on comparative analysis of questionnaire results and library studies and previous researches of researchers in this field.
The result of the research is presented in the form of a strategic model in three axes "Meaning", "Physical Form" and "Activity", which presents principles in each section that can be applied in design to "improve the coexistence of Islamic centers with the host society." and "preserving Islamic identity" help Islamic centers. The results of this research indicate that the use of symbols of Islamic values in design by creating an opportunity to express identity, reduces the feeling of deprivation and increases the sense of acceptance in the society in the Muslim minority, and causes a reduction in cultural tensions and an increase in the sense of belonging. closer to the national culture of the host country. On the other hand, trying to use visual elements and common values will reduce the sensitivities of the host society and better communication with the Muslim population. By using a convergent approach, Islamic centers can play a role both as a religious center for Muslims and as a cultural center for the whole society. This can lead to the strengthening of Islamic culture and the attractiveness and improvement of the image of Islamic culture and Muslim society in the public opinion of the host society. As a result, "identity" and "coexistence" are not two concepts independent of each other, so in order to achieve "stable cultural coexistence with the host society" while "preserving Islamic identity", both aspects should be considered in the design of Islamic centers.
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