Avicennan Elements in the Sadrian Explanation of the Problem of the Soul and its Corporeal Origination

Undoubtedly, one of the most important philosophical discussions among the majority of philosophers is the problem of the existence of the soul, its essence, the quality of its appearance, its immateriality, and its subsistence. This problem is also one of the most fundamental and crucial issues for Muslim philosophers, and its kālāmī and philosophical outcomes cannot be ignored. This is because several religious beliefs can be explained depending on accepting this main element in Man’s existence. Without the soul, Man is not responsible for any obligation issued on the part of the holy legislator and, naturally, resurrection and the related problems become pointless. The importance of the soul for philosophers who are not committed to kālāmī and religious views indicates that this problem, irrespective of its religious nature, holds an important place in philosophy. Ibn Sīnā and Mullā Ṣadrā, as two philosophers who are also concerned about religious beliefs, have paid particular attention to the problem of the soul. Mullā Ṣadrā has discussed the existence of the soul, demonstrated its essential nature and subsistence, and explained the quality of its appearance in the form of corporeal origination, in fact, his new views in this regard are quite famous. However, this paper is intended to reveal that many of his discussions regarding the problem of the soul have been exactly borrowed from Ibn Sīnā. Referring to Avicennan views in Mullā Ṣadrā’s philosophy can greatly contribute to a correct understanding and justifiable interpretation of Mullā Ṣadrā’s ideas, particularly concerning the perception of the concept of the corporeality of the soul, which some wrongly equate with the corporeality of the soul at the beginning of its creation. Here, the author demonstrates that neither is this interpretation of Mullā Ṣadrā’s words correct, nor is this principle solely attributed to him. Rather, he has borrowed Ibn Sīnā’s philosophical views in this regard, as is the case in his other discussions in relation to the soul.