Analyzing the hidden entity of Ardavirafnameh based on Karl Mannheim's theory of sociology of knowledge

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Author

• mahdi Elmi Daneshvar

Sharq Religions/Faculty of Religions/University of Religions and Religions/Qom

10.22067/jls.2025.90699.1650

Abstract

Ardavirafnameh is one of the most important books written in the Sasanian era, which tells about the world after death. This book was written following the emergence of religious doubts and the spread of new religious movements by the order of the religious governance system. Although this book is a religious text and one of the revelatory texts, it can be found carefully that it expresses the politics and the heavy shadow of religion in the Sassanid era. The current research, using Mannheim's theory of sociology, is an analysis of how to write and analyze and examine the themes used in this book. In his sociological theory of knowledge, Mannheim is looking for how elites think, and this is important in the layers of time and place in which thinking and thought were created. In this research, we showed that with the help of this theory, what historical and political factors had an effect on the formation and writing of this book. Ardaviraf, as a representative of the pious class, traveled to the world of Minoan to consolidate the moral and religious foundations and showed that obedience to the government, pious and religious propositions is the best choice and people in the society who oppose and protest against this way of life face severe and difficult punishments in the world. The latter will be encountered.

Keywords

• Karl Mannheim
• hell
• heaven
• social classes

Main Subjects

• Mythology

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