An Analysis of Man’s Social Development Based on Prophetic Transcendental Philosophy in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Viewpoint

The present study examines the social development of Man based on the Prophetic Transcendent Philosophy from Mullā Ṣadrā’s perspective following an analytic-descriptive method. The necessity and importance of this discussion lies in the idea that the knowledge of several social categories, such as the criteria for cruelty and true happiness, the quality of the interactions between culture and social traditions with social behaviors, individual and social liberties, citizenship rights, etc., depend on explaining the causes, features, and effects of Man’s social development. In relation to the mentioned factors, while investigating the functional concepts of perfection and development, the truth and mentally-positedness of society, and the place of the prophets and their heirs, the reasons behind the development of human species are mentioned based on Mullā Ṣadrā’s theories of the becoming of the rational soul, the graded motion of existence, Man’s connection to the Active Intellect and, following it, intellectual flourishing. In Mullā Ṣadrā’s view, the most important features for the realization of Man’s intellectual perfection include advocating the prophets, becoming similar to God, and imitating Godly behavior. The findings of this study demonstrate that in his sociological discussions, through promoting his Transcendent Philosophy to the Prophetic Transcendent Philosophy, Mullā Ṣadrā introduces the effects of Man’s social development in four categories of creating utopia or the one people, the prophets’ unveiling and displaying intellectual treasures, longing for the Hereafter and avoiding the love of worldly affairs, and establishing the transcendent civilization.