Ma`rifat Farhangi Ejtemaei

Most social sciences regard “culture” as the most common and widespread concept which encompasses all man’s material and non-material achievements during the vicissitude of social life and in the course of history. One of the most important questions posed in the cultural studies and sociology of culture is the question relating to the origin of and causes behind the ontological foundations of culture. No doubt, culture is a confluence of the symbolic treasures and achievements which represent a direct and indirect transfusion of man’s existential capacities, revealed teachings, social interactions and biological experiences and which are crystallized cumulatively in a multi-layer world and come to existence and finds out its identity objectively and independently or as inter-subjective sediments. Inspired by the works of the eminent contemporary philosopher and Qur'an commentator, Allamah Tabatabaii, the present paper seeks to reexamine and analyze the origin of and the causes behind the development and possibly maintenance of culture. This problem which ought to be a subject of speculation and inquiring has not been adequately addressed in the existing literature of social sciences. The main question of this paper is related to the nature and origin of culture. A documentary method is used, Allamah’s views are stated and the contents of his works, especially Al-Mizan Commentary are analyzed to expound and prove the author's claim.