Being and Consciousness: An Introduction to Metaphysics | Seyyed Hossein Nasr | TIAIS скачать в хорошем качестве

Being and Consciousness: An Introduction to Metaphysics | Seyyed Hossein Nasr | TIAIS

Opening lecture of Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s series on Islamic Metaphysics, delivered as part of a program organized by the Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies (TIAIS). To watch the whole Islamic Metaphysics Series, visit https://tokatinstitute.org/academics/... In this introductory talk, Prof. Nasr examines foundational metaphysical concepts—being, consciousness, non-being, ontology, levels of reality, and the relationship between mind and existence. Drawing from Islamic, Greek, Hindu and universal philosophical traditions, he clarifies how metaphysics provides the framework for understanding knowledge, ethics, the intellect, and the human condition. Throughout the lecture, Prof. Nasr reflects on: – the distinction between absolute and relative being, – why metaphysics cannot be reduced to modern epistemology, – the primacy of consciousness in traditional cosmologies, – language and technical terminology (wujūd, shahūd, ʿilm), – the spiritual significance of wakefulness, awareness, and the heart, – and the metaphysical foundations shared across world traditions. The session concluded with a rich Q&A on topics such as astrology, environmental ethics, the dream state, mind–brain relations, and the seat of consciousness. Lecture Information • Lecturer: Prof. Seyyed Hossein Nasr • Organizer: Tokat Institute for Advanced Islamic Studies (TIAIS) • Web: https://tokatinstitute.org/nasr • Format: Online Lecture + Q&A • Language: English • Date: September 5th, 2025 Chapters 00:00:00 — Opening Invocation A brief invocation and introduction to the lecture. 00:00:25 — Purpose of the Lecture Series Prof. Nasr introduces the structure and intention of the metaphysics program. 00:02:00 — Why Metaphysics Matters Today How metaphysics became marginalized in modern Western thought. 00:04:30 — Islamic Terms for Being and Consciousness Definitions of wujūd, shahūd, and technical terminology. 00:07:00 — Greek and Latin Ontological Vocabulary Comparison between Islamic, Greek, and Latin metaphysical terms. 00:09:30 — Modes and Levels of Being Distinctions between absolute being, relative being, and existence. 00:13:00 — Non-Being and the Absolute Why metaphysics begins beyond being itself. 00:15:40 — Consciousness as Primordial Traditional perspectives on consciousness preceding matter. 00:19:20 — Hierarchy of Consciousness Layers of awareness from nature to humanity to saints. 00:23:30 — Wakefulness and the Spiritual Path Religion is the call to awaken to higher consciousness. 00:27:20 — Forms and the Formless Human capacity for perceiving both form and the beyond-form. 00:30:00 — Conscience and Consciousness The ethical dimension inherent in awareness. 00:33:40 — Metaphysics as Foundational Science Metaphysics as the discipline that unites being, knowledge, and consciousness. 00:37:00 — Shared Cosmic Consciousness Humanity’s participation in a universal field of awareness. 00:39:40 — Transition to Q&A The lecture ends, and the question session begins. 00:40:10 — Q&A: What Should I Ask? Nasr responds to a student asking how one should even frame questions. 00:41:00 — Q&A: Astrology and Awakening The difference between traditional astrology and forbidden divination. 00:43:20 — Q&A: Dreams and Awareness How consciousness operates in the dream state. 00:46:00 — Q&A: Ethics and the Natural World Consciousness is the basis for environmental responsibility. 00:48:00 — Q&A: Mind and Brain Clarifying how the mind uses—but is not reducible to—the brain. 00:50:20 — Q&A: Intelligence vs. Consciousness How intelligence and consciousness relate but are not identical. 00:52:00 — Q&A: The Heart as the Seat of Consciousness In Islamic metaphysics, consciousness ultimately resides in the heart.