The Origins of Practice From the View of Mullā Ṣadrā and Fārābī

Document Type : Original Article

Author

An academic member at Institute for Research in Philosophy

Abstract

The issue of the origins of practice is one of the most principle subject in the area of the theory and practice. Mullā Ṣadrā and Fārābī have studied this issue among some philosophical issues. They in determination of the process of practice believe that man's acts have some origins in respect to stages and the process of creation. These origins in a short look from remote to proximate are: imaginative potential (quwwa al-khayal), the faculty of yearning (shawq)
-appetite-, voluntary and practical faculty of the soul (quwwa ‘amaliyya). Imaginative potential (quwwa al-khayal) “the remote principles” and the faculty of yearning (shawq) -appetite-, voluntary “intermediate principle” and the practical faculty of the soul (quwwa ‘amaliyya) “proximate principle” are of human practical activities. The relation between these three potentials is hierarchical and longitudinal. The imaginative potential (quwwa al-khayal) arouses the faculty of yearning (shawq) -appetite- and the faculty of yearning (shawq) causes voluntary and voluntary is the agent of the practical faculty of the soul (quwwa ‘amaliyya). Practice as one of human deeds from the stage of idea and knowledge (maʿrifa) to the stage of practice and objectivity passes the aforementioned stages. These two philosophers have some different attitude to this field. Meanwhile presenting both philosophers opinions, it analyses and compares them.

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