Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, born in Tehran in 1933, is an influential Iranian-American philosopher, theologian, and scholar of Islamic studies. He received a rigorous education in both Iran and the United States, earning degrees in physics from MIT and geology, geophysics, and the history of science from Harvard. After returning to Iran, he held prominent academic positions, including professorships and vice-chancellorships at Tehran University, and established the Imperial Iranian Academy of Philosophy at the request of Empress Farah Pahlavi. His academic career in Iran was marked by study with traditional masters and significant contributions to philosophical discourse. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 led to his exile in the United States, where he has continued his scholarly work. Nasr is recognized for his defense of Islamic and perennialist doctrines, critiquing modern worldviews for their desacralization of knowledge and advocating for its restoration through sacred traditions.

Born Seyyed Hossein Nasr in Tehran in 1933, his father was a physician to the Iranian royal family and a proponent of modern education. Nasr received early philosophical and religious instruction from his father and a circle of scholars. His education took him to the United States, where he studied physics at MIT, later shifting focus to geology, geophysics, and the history of science at Harvard. During his student years in the U.S., he encountered the works of René Guénon and other thinkers associated with the Perennialist school, which profoundly shaped his intellectual and spiritual development. He also engaged with traditional Islamic scholars and Sufi masters, receiving initiation into the Shadhili Sufi order.

Upon completing his doctorate at Harvard in 1958, Nasr declined offers from MIT and Harvard to return to Iran. He became a professor at Tehran University, where he also pursued traditional Islamic studies. He rose to prominence, becoming the youngest full professor at Tehran University and a significant voice in Islamic philosophy, science, and Sufism. He collaborated closely with Henry Corbin on comparative philosophy and directed the Imperial Iranian Academy of Philosophy, a center for Traditionalist thought. During this period, he also held leadership roles at Aryamehr University, focusing on the impact of modern technology and advocating for a bridge between traditional and modern Iranian culture.

Exiled to the United States in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution, Nasr continued his prolific scholarly output. He is a key figure in the Perennialist school, particularly its Traditionalist stream, advocating for the universal truths found in orthodox religions. His work critically examines modern secular worldviews, arguing that they have led to a 'desacralization' of knowledge by severing it from its divine source. Nasr calls for a 'resacralization' of knowledge and nature, drawing upon sacred traditions and what he terms 'sacred science.' His environmental philosophy is articulated through the lens of Islamic environmentalism.