A Study of Mulla Sadra’s Views on the Unmoved Mover

The mover (muhrek) is one of the basic elements of motion (hrakah). Mulla Sadra considers the distinction of the origin of motion, its end, its distance, the moving (muteharek), and time as a conceptual one, and believes that all of them have only a single instance; however, some philosophers, including Mulla Sadra, believe in the distinction of the mover instances. Unlike the motion and the moving that are distinguished only in accidental motions, the motion and the mover is necessarily different in all forms of motion. In substantial motion, the motion and the moving unite, but in accidental qualities, the motion is distinguished from the moving and is considered as a property.In substantial motion, motion in the moving is essential and there is no difference between the motion and the moving, and the moving substance is the source of motion in the accidental qualities. Although motion inherently exists in motion substance, it does not suggest that the motion needs no causes, but on the contrary, in this case, the need of motion for the cause is more. In the present paper, first, the difference between motion and the moving substance is showed. Then, the seven arguments of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi on the necessity of the existence of a mover distinct from the moving are proposed and the differences between the perspectives of Mulla Sadra and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi are discussed, and by using the substantial motion theory, for the existence of unmoved mover will be argued.