Remarks on Comparative Philosophy : Islamic and Western Philosophies

Contemporary islamic philosophy, which is not in the direction of dead end of ghazzali’s approach and averose’s unfollowed philosophy, has had more improvements in shi’ites iranian cultural background. these active philosophical thoughts that have been encountered some of contemporary problems in philosophy and other problems are rarely known by western thinkers. in this paper i will review the possibility, meaning and importance of comparative studies between western and islamic philosophies. although there are some increasing activities in this field, there are some obstacles in this comparison (and other comparisons) that must be overcome for a true one. these difficulties arise from hermeneutical meanings of the problems and the cultural diversities and the different approaches in the same problems. these matters bring the suspicion of impossibility of comparative philosophy. but if it would be so then all kinds of mutual understanding would be meaningless and absurd. i believe that all comparative studies must be aware of those obstacles and try to overcome them more and more to reach a more true comparison. then, i will examine five meanings of comparative philosophy between western and islamic philosophies that some of them cannot result fruitful consequences and some others are closer to upgrading mutual understanding and more cooperation for some better philosophical views. i will also point to the importance and necessity of such dialogues for a more global intercultural relations and solving the apparent conflicts that have some deep misunderstandings.