Absolute Transcendence and Absolute Totality: A Comparative Study on the Absolute Unity in Hegel’s Philosophy and Ibn Arabi's Mystical School through their Relation to the Neoplatonic Negative Theology
Philosophy East and West December 1, 2025 Ali Asghar Khosravi, Ahmad Rajabi
This cross-cultural analysis compares Hegel's concept of Geist as an all-encompassing immanent totality with Ibn 'Arabi's mystical doctrine of the Unity of Being, which emphasizes absolute transcendence and hiddenness. By connecting these views to Plato's notion of "the One" as beyond Being, the critique questions whether Hegel's totality can truly be considered absolute and argues for the philosophical necessity of transcending it to reach "the One." The work highlights limitations in Hegelian thought and explains the philosophical basis for absolute hiddenness in Islamic mysticism, aiming to bridge philosophy and mysticism by integrating mystical insight into philosophical discourse.