Analyzing the term "Madani be-al-ṭabʿ" from Mulla Sadra’s perspective while considering Aristotle's concept of Politikos

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Islamic Philosophy & Contemporary Wisdom Department, Philosophy Faculty, IHCS, Tehran, Iran

2 Islamic Philosophy & Contemporary wisdom department, Philosophy Faculty, IHCS (Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies),Tehran, Iran

3 Occidentalism and Studies of Science Faculty, IHCS, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

"Madani be-al-ṭabʿ" (political/social by nature) is one of the terms of civil wisdom (ḥekmat-e madani), and Mulla Sadra has used it in some cases. The research problem revolves around the interpretation of the term and Mulla Sadra's viewpoint on it. The study will try to determine whether the term implies that human nature is civil (politikos) or if human civility is natural. Additionally, the research will investigate which human trait "Madani be-al-ṭabʿ" indicates and how it relates to human intellectual perfection. The study will also examine whether human civility is an inherent, natural, instinctive, or unacquired characteristic or an acquired characteristic. To achieve these objectives, the research will use the analytical and critical method to investigate each instance of "Madani be-al-ṭabʿ" used in Mulla Sadra's works with the analytical and critical method and to explain its compatibility or incompatibility with Mulla Sadra's civil wisdom. The concept of politikos, which is related to "phusis" (φύσις) in Aristotle's view, is considered the origin of "Madani be-al-ṭabʿ". The research results indicate that "Madani be-al-ṭabʿ" and "civilized man" (politikos) are perfect concepts in Mulla Sadra's view when related to the intellectual perfection of man based on the theory of graded unity. The significance of this study is that it can aid the application of Islamic philosopher's ideas in practical philosophy regarding human sciences, ethics, society, and politics and provide a detailed explanation of civil man in Transcendent Philosophy.

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Journal of Religious Thought : A Quarterly Journal of Shiraz University

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 December 2023

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