A Review of Mulla Sadra’s Outlook on Sense Perception

The explanation of sense perception constitutes a few principles necessary for the harmonious system of “Islamic epistemology”. Sense perception is the primary bridge between us and the world outside. Here, Mulla Sadra’s views on the issue ought not to be overlooked, for he has promoted innovations and considerable ideas about it. His ideas are sometimes articulated explicitly easy to spot such as that sensible forms are created by the soul or the Giver of forms, and sometimes implicit to be inferred from his other principles such as that sense perceptions are either husuli (indirect and through impression) or huduri (direct and by presence) and that sense perceptions by essence belong to imagination i.e. they are partially incorporeal. There are other examples, too. In their essay, the authors have challenged some of these ideas. One important outcome of such challenges is that sense perception is not husuli (indirect and through impression).