Contradictions arising from the idea of the principal body and the sensible body in Mullā Sadrā's explanation of the relationship between soul and body

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Author
Armin Mansouri
Assistant Professor, University of Tabriz
10.48308/kj.2026.244238.1428
Abstract
The relationship between soul and body in Mullā Sadrā's philosophy is a controversial topic due to its great importance, as well as the specific path and original ideas that Mullā Sadrā presented in explaining it. Mullā Sadrā, on the one hand, by proposing the idea of corporeal origination (hudūth jismānī), and on the other hand, by proposing the principal body and the sensible body, has explained the major part of his views regarding the relationship between soul and body. The idea of the principal body and the sensible body is one of Mullā Sadrā's important innovations concerning the soul. However, juxtaposing Mullā Sadrā's statements in various passages concerning the principal body, the sensible body, and corporeal origination, certain contradictions become apparent. The aim of this research is to employ a descriptive-analytical and argumentative method to identify these contradictions and, in the next step, to examine their validity or invalidity. The findings indicate that these contradictions are generally related to the starting point of the soul's origination, whether or not the soul encompasses the levels of elemental, mineral, and vegetable forms, the union of soul and body, the embodiment of the soul, the identity of the soul with the sensible body and its organs at their levels, and the substantial correspondence and union between soul and body.
Keywords
Main body
sensible body
Mulla Sadra
body
soul
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 07 May 2026
  • Revise Date 15 July 2026
  • Accept Date 30 August 2026