On Human Intellect and the Sphere beyond Its Limit

Ibn ‘Arabī’ s Perspective of Mystical Psychology

Abstract

Previous studies on the thought of Ibn ‘Arabī (d. 1240) have not focused on his intellectual relationship with his predecessors' frameworks, despite emphasizing his own impact on posterity. Most notably, his criticisms of his predecessors have seldom been examined. By negatively evaluating human intellect (‘aql) from the perspective of mystical psychology, Ibn ‘Arabī criticized the intellectual methodology of philosophers and theologians and clarified the differences between his doctrine and preceding theories. However, previous studies on this tension often present it in simplistic terms of the opposition of intellect versus religious law or mystical experience without examining its underlying focus, reasons, and intention. The significance of this tension in the context of his psychology has received little consideration. By analyzing the logical structure of Ibn ‘Arabī's mystical doctrine, which evaluates intellect negatively, I clarify its vital role in his mystical psychology and reveal the centrality of his perspective on intellect within this doctrine. I conclude that his critical response to previous intellectual traditions facilitated the formation of his own thought.