An Investigation of the Mutual Relationship of Intellect and Conscience in Mulla Sadra and Mirza Mahdi Isfahani’s View

In various parts in his works, while using theoretical intellect and discussion, Mulla Sadra speaks of conscience as a method. In his view, conscience is an intuition based on intuitive knowledge. Thus, it can resolve many problems related to the origin of existence and its returning point. In contrast, Mirza Mahdi Isfahani has strengthened his doctrinal foundations just on conscientious perception. In that type of perception, external realities are discovered as they are, without any existential connection. The present article aims at investigating the relationship between intellect and conscience from the viewpoints of those two thinkers. It will be clarified that although Mulla Sadra believes in some important mutual functions for intellect and conscience, he considers those two cognitive paths abreast of one another. In contrast, Mirza Isfahani does not regard them separately; rather, in his view, the intelligible things are part of items of conscience. In a more precise wording, some of the items of our conscience are acquired in the presence of our intellect