A Comparison of Ibn-Sina and Mulla Sadra’sViews on the Union of the Intellect and the Inelligible

The disagreements between Mulla Sadra and Ibn-Sina concerning theissue of the union of the intellect and the intelligible represent anexample of the difference between the conceptions of two prominentislamic philosophers of an important philosophical problem.Two completely contrasting theories have been ascribed to Ibn-Sina inthis regard. Some of his words indicate his rejection of the union of theintellect and the intelligible. While some of his other words indicate hisconfirmation of this theory. Conversely, Mulla Sadra is a greatsupporter of this theory and has adduced various arguments todemonstrate it. The theory of the union of the intellect and theintelligible, which is either denied or accepted by Ibn-Sina, is not inharmony with the one supported by Mulla Sadra, and the views of thesetwo philosophers concerning this theory are totally different from eachother. Their disagreements can be summarized in two points:1. Reality of intellection 2. Reality of the unionConsidering the above two points of difference, we can say that theirconceptions of the union of the intellect and the intelligible are sodifferent from each other that they represent the intellectualconfrontation between them deeper than what it really is.