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The reality of the soul, its levels and actions, and its relation to the body have always been (and are) among the most important philosophical issues, and evidence for this may be found even in the most ancient philosophical deliberations of the Greeks and others. In the philosophical traditions of the Islamic world as well, serious attempts have been made to present a "science of the soul" which is in accord with the spirit of Islamic philosophical sciences. In the Transcendent Philosophy, on the other hand, a version of science of the soul has been presented which both justifies the concrete sphere of "the immaterial and material soul" and describes "the soul's becoming and seeking for perfection". In addition, it is fully consistent with the components and overall structure of the Transcendent Philosophy. Based on doctrines of principality of existence, motion in substance, bodily origination and spiritually subsistence of the soul, Mulla Sadra depicts man's soul and its station in such a way which is free from usual inconsistencies of philosophical traditions in this regard. At the same time, based on the Book and tradition, he opens a new window to man's existence through which the existential dimensions of man are seen in correspondence and as being similar to the whole cosmos. Though, in this way, Mulla Sadra has made uses of the Peripatetic and Illuminationist traditions of his forerunners, his own innovations are unrivalled and exceptionally strong.

DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-9612-8_7

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