From Mysticism to Philosophy: Toshihiko Izutsu and Sufism
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Tasavvuf Araştırmaları Enstitüsü Dergisi November 1, 2022 Makoto Sawai
Toshihiko Izutsu, known in Islamic studies for his work on the Qur'an and Sufism, developed a comprehensive Oriental philosophy later in his career, primarily published in Japanese and thus largely inaccessible to non-Japanese readers. This philosophy draws heavily on Ibn 'Arabī's concept of waḥdat al-wujūd (Unity of Existence). Izutsu's earlier Japanese writings emphasized the central role of experience in understanding mysticism, and he traced a theoretical development from mysticism to mystical philosophy, and from Sufism to Islamic philosophy. He used Islamic philosophy as the framework for constructing his Oriental philosophy, creating a divide between his English-language Islamic scholarship and his Japanese-language philosophical work.