Abstract

Based on the ontological principles of his theory of the principiality of existence, Mulla Sadra considers motion as a gradual and multi-faceted reality. He also believes that, due to the soul's creativity, various archetypal forms, differentiae, genus, and accidental and substantial motions are specific to the reality of motion. In order to explain the paradox of the lack of subject in the trans-substantial motion, through making a clear distinction between the subject and the object, Mulla Sadra attributes evolution and gradedness to the external world and ontological levels, which naturally do not lead to the non-existence of essence and non-material substance. The height of his art concerning the problem of the substantial gradedness of the human soul can be witnessed in its synthesis with the epistemological theory of the union of the intellect and the intelligible. Due to his following a perfectional and ontological approach to the category of knowledge and awareness, he maintains that the substantial gradedness and epistemological vastness of the soul function as a ladder for its ascent from limited knowledge and superficiality to absolute and pure knowledge compatible with empirical, imaginal, and rational representations. Mulla Sadra is of the view that, as long as the soul enjoys the defective aspect and the ontological dimension of the Hidden world and the world of Ideas, it attains some vague and unthinkable perceptions which, because of the real and delicate unity between the cause and effect, can be matched with particular and sensual effects