The Sufistic Profoundness of Isar (Altruism): A Comparison with the Scientific Approach

Abstract

This paper aims to study the concept of isar with the comparison method. Positive sciences constitute one side of this comparison, and the other side is the sufism thought. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, positive sciences have been studying the altruism subject, too. In other words, a religious concept is reinterpreted by a scientific approach. This also indicates that there has been a change in the understanding of the concept. At the same time, this change and the qualities of the intellectual differences in the background of this change constitute the issue of the article. A three-gradual method has been followed in this article: In the first stage, scientific approaches about altruism concept have been expressed. In the second stage, the profoundness of isar in sufi thought has been analyzed. And in the final stage, similar and different aspects of both sides have been determined and evaluated by comparison method.