Sharafoddin Khorasani Information

 Life and Work of Sharaf al-Din Khorasani

Sharaf al-Din Khorasani, known as Sharaf, was born on March 3, 1928, in Hamadan, Iran, and passed away on November 5, 2003, in Tehran. He was a distinguished poet, researcher, and professor in the Department of Philosophy at the National University of Iran (now Shahid Beheshti University). He is recognized as one of the foremost experts on Greek philosophy in Iran. His most significant work, “The First Greek Philosophers,” was first published in 1971. Sharaf had mastery over several languages, including English, German, French, Arabic, and Ancient Greek. 

Early Life and Imprisonment

After the coup d’état of August 19, 1953, Sharaf was imprisoned. During his three years in prison, he taught Greek mythology to other intellectual inmates. He was the first to systematically and comprehensively address pre-Socratic philosophers in the Persian language, culminating in his renowned book “The First Greek Philosophers,” which remains one of the most respected works on the subject in Persian. His philosophical contributions include significant translations, such as Aristotle’s “Metaphysics,” which he translated directly from Ancient Greek. Sharaf’s philosophical studies were deeply influenced by his firm belief in Karl Marx, highlighting the socio-economic foundations of each philosophical system under study. His works often delve into the historical context before analyzing the philosophies of the era, maintaining the original terminologies in their native languages. 

Academic and Literary Contributions

In 1970, Sharaf published a poetry collection titled “Words,” which won an award the same year. His other poetry collections include “Echo” (1958) and “The Metaphysics of Love and Collected Poems” (2001). Sharaf earned his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge in 1963, where he also taught Persian literature and philosophy. He returned to Iran around 1964 and joined the National University of Iran faculty. Two years later, he founded the university’s Department of Philosophy and served as its head from 1967 until February 1981. After the Cultural Revolution and the reopening of universities in 1982, he was initially barred from teaching and was forced into early retirement in 1986 by the university council. 

Later Life and Contributions

Shortly after, the Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia invited him to join as a senior scientific advisor, a position he held full-time until the end of his life. His research during this period focused mainly on Islamic philosophy and the influence and comparison between Greek philosophy and Islamic philosophical schools. From 1998, he served on the Supreme Board of Advisors for the National Library of Iran, contributing significantly to cultural and scholarly activities until his sudden death from a heart attack on the morning of November 5, 2003. 

Publications

Authored Books: – **From Socrates to Aristotle** (Tehran: National University, 1973) – **The First Greek Philosophers** (1975) – **From Bruno to Hegel** (Tehran: National University, 1976) — A revised edition titled “From Bruno to Kant” was published in 1997. – **World and Man in Philosophy** (Tehran: National University, 1979) 

Translations:

– **Contemporary European Philosophy** by Innocentius Bocheński, translated from German, with an appendix by Sharaf al-Din Khorasani – **Elegies and Songs** by Rainer Maria Rilke – **Metaphysics** by Aristotle – **Foundations of Ontology** by Nicolai Hartmann

Other Works:

– **Islam: A Historical and Cultural Study**, group authorship – **Avicenna: The Renowned Persian Philosopher and Physician**, co-authored – **Remember the Extinguished Candle, Remember** (A collection of articles) – **Words** (A collection of poetry, 1970) – **Echo** (1958) – **The Metaphysics of Love** (Poetry collection, 2000) – **Dialectic of Love** (In press) Sharaf al-Din Khorasani remains a celebrated figure in Persian poetry and philosophical scholarship, with his works continuing to influence the fields of Greek and Islamic philosophy as well as Persian literature.