University of Isfahan Comparative Theology 2008-9651 17 1 2026 03 21 Mulla Sadra’s Innovation Compared to Ibn Sina in the Ontological Explanation of Ethics Mulla Sadra’s Innovation Compared to Ibn Sina in the Ontological Explanation of Ethics 19 38 29591 10.22108/coth.2025.142094.1917 FA Fateme Soleimani Darebaghi Associate Professor of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology Imam Sadiq University (Sister’s Campus), Tehran, Iran Zahra Saeed Tehrani Ph.D. Student in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology Imam Sadiq University (Sister’s Campus), Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2024 08 04 Human ethics are fundamental elements in shaping personality, and their philosophical explanation is essential. This study examines Mulla Sadra’s ontological approach in contrast to Ibn Sina’s essentialist perspective on the explanation of ethics. According to Ibn Sina, ethics are accidental qualities that emerge due to the interaction between the soul and the body, bestowed upon the essence of the soul and leading to its perfection. Mulla Sadra, while criticizing this theory, transformed the foundations of anthropology, arguing that ethical traits are substantial dispositions that, through the intensified substantial motion of the soul—facilitated by the increased function of a faculty and preparatory causes such as repeated actions, temperament, and social influences—lead to the expansion of the soul's existential capacity. Consequently, unlike Ibn Sina, Sadra does not consider ethics a secondary perfection but rather a primary perfection, offering a more precise explanation that also affects related issues such as the stages of ethical formation and criteria for classification. Keywords: Ethics, Substantial Form, Ontological Rank, Ibn Sina, Mulla Sadra. Introduction One of the fundamental pillars in the formation of human identity is ethics, which influences an individual's cognitive and behavioral framework. Awareness of ethics enables self-knowledge at a personal level, facilitating actions aimed at addressing personal deficiencies and strengthening one’s virtues. At a societal level, understanding ethics helps in predicting individuals’ thought processes and behaviors, allowing for effective management and interaction within that society. Consequently, recognizing the significance of ethics in human personality is crucial, necessitating a philosophical exploration to clarify its essence. Ibn Sina made progress in this discussion by emphasizing the role of practical reason in shaping ethics. However, his foundational explanations of ethical reality remained incomplete. Mulla Sadra, relying on the principle of the primacy of existence and advancing anthropological foundations offers a more precise explanation of ethics compared to Ibn Sina. This study seeks to address this central question: How does Mulla Sadra explain ethics from an ontological perspective in the human soul? In other words, how does Sadra’s ontological approach to ethical reality differ from Ibn Sina’s essentialist explanation? Additionally, secondary issues such as the stages and influencing factors in the formation of ethics, as well as Sadra’s criteria for their classification, will be explored. Materials and Methods To address the main issue of the study, first, Ibn Sina’s foundations in explaining the reality of ethics will be presented, followed by Mulla Sadra’s criticisms of his views. Then, Sadra’s approach will be outlined based on his philosophical principles. Subsequently, the stages, factors, and criteria for the classification of ethics from his perspective will be discussed. The methodology used in this research is descriptive-analytical, based on data collected through library research from Mulla Sadra’s works. Research Findings Both philosophers advanced beyond their predecessors in explaining the reality of ethics. Ibn Sina contributed to refining the discussion by introducing transcendent and dependent dispositions and emphasizing the role of practical reason in shaping ethical dispositions. However, due to weaknesses in his foundational principles, his theory was subject to criticism. In contrast, Mulla Sadra, by introducing new philosophical principles, innovated in explaining the reality of ethics compared to Ibn Sina, successfully addressing previous shortcomings. One of these innovations lies in their interpretation of the nature of ethics. According to Ibn Sina, ethics are accidental attributes bestowed by the active intellect upon the soul when it is adequately receptive. Conversely, Mulla Sadra views ethics as essential dispositions—if the soul, as an agent, creates the conditions for existential expansion, the active intellect elevates the soul gradually, refining its existential rank. This active engagement of the soul, in Sadra’s perspective, contrasts with Ibn Sina’s passive view of the soul, leading to significantly different implications in ethics, psychology, and sociology. For instance, if the soul is seen as active, it does not merely submit to temperamental, familial, or social conditions, but strives for self-improvement and existential growth. However, if the soul is perceived as passive, then heredity, family, and society play a dominant role in shaping its personality, leading it to simply adapt to existing circumstances. Discussion of Results and Conclusions Ibn Sina advanced the discussion of ethics by emphasizing the role of practical reason in shaping ethical dispositions in relation to other animal faculties. However, due to weaknesses in his foundations—including the essentialist nature of ethics, the intellectual abstraction of the soul's essence, the perfection of the soul through ethical accidents, and the recipient-agent relationship between the soul and ethics—he was unable to provide a comprehensive explanation of ethical reality. In contrast, Mulla Sadra, by adopting an ontological rather than essentialist perspective on ethical dispositions, viewing the soul as corporeally originated, and asserting that its perfection occurs through intensified substantial motion, brought forward innovative philosophical insights. He argued that the human soul is not of a fixed essence, actively determines its substantial form, and that ethics constitute primary perfections, rather than secondary ones. Sadra demonstrated that ethics reflect the ontological rank of the soul and, consequently, manifest the substantial form of the self, through which actions emerge naturally, without prior deliberation. Mulla Sadra’s new approach to ethics, compared to Ibn Sina, led to several significant innovations, confirming the superiority of his theory. These include: Recognizing all human faculties as involved in ethical formation, rather than just practical reason, Establishing that ethics are corporeally originated, with parental conditions influencing their formation, Demonstrating the difficulty of changing ethical dispositions, highlighting the importance of education in society, and Introducing a new classification of faculties, which, compared to the principle of the mean, offers a more comprehensive understanding of virtues and vices. Human ethics are fundamental elements in shaping personality, and their philosophical explanation is essential. This study examines Mulla Sadra’s ontological approach in contrast to Ibn Sina’s essentialist perspective on the explanation of ethics. According to Ibn Sina, ethics are accidental qualities that emerge due to the interaction between the soul and the body, bestowed upon the essence of the soul and leading to its perfection. Mulla Sadra, while criticizing this theory, transformed the foundations of anthropology, arguing that ethical traits are substantial dispositions that, through the intensified substantial motion of the soul—facilitated by the increased function of a faculty and preparatory causes such as repeated actions, temperament, and social influences—lead to the expansion of the soul's existential capacity. Consequently, unlike Ibn Sina, Sadra does not consider ethics a secondary perfection but rather a primary perfection, offering a more precise explanation that also affects related issues such as the stages of ethical formation and criteria for classification. Keywords: Ethics, Substantial Form, Ontological Rank, Ibn Sina, Mulla Sadra. Introduction One of the fundamental pillars in the formation of human identity is ethics, which influences an individual's cognitive and behavioral framework. Awareness of ethics enables self-knowledge at a personal level, facilitating actions aimed at addressing personal deficiencies and strengthening one’s virtues. At a societal level, understanding ethics helps in predicting individuals’ thought processes and behaviors, allowing for effective management and interaction within that society. Consequently, recognizing the significance of ethics in human personality is crucial, necessitating a philosophical exploration to clarify its essence. Ibn Sina made progress in this discussion by emphasizing the role of practical reason in shaping ethics. However, his foundational explanations of ethical reality remained incomplete. Mulla Sadra, relying on the principle of the primacy of existence and advancing anthropological foundations offers a more precise explanation of ethics compared to Ibn Sina. This study seeks to address this central question: How does Mulla Sadra explain ethics from an ontological perspective in the human soul? In other words, how does Sadra’s ontological approach to ethical reality differ from Ibn Sina’s essentialist explanation? Additionally, secondary issues such as the stages and influencing factors in the formation of ethics, as well as Sadra’s criteria for their classification, will be explored. Materials and Methods To address the main issue of the study, first, Ibn Sina’s foundations in explaining the reality of ethics will be presented, followed by Mulla Sadra’s criticisms of his views. Then, Sadra’s approach will be outlined based on his philosophical principles. Subsequently, the stages, factors, and criteria for the classification of ethics from his perspective will be discussed. The methodology used in this research is descriptive-analytical, based on data collected through library research from Mulla Sadra’s works. Research Findings Both philosophers advanced beyond their predecessors in explaining the reality of ethics. Ibn Sina contributed to refining the discussion by introducing transcendent and dependent dispositions and emphasizing the role of practical reason in shaping ethical dispositions. However, due to weaknesses in his foundational principles, his theory was subject to criticism. In contrast, Mulla Sadra, by introducing new philosophical principles, innovated in explaining the reality of ethics compared to Ibn Sina, successfully addressing previous shortcomings. One of these innovations lies in their interpretation of the nature of ethics. According to Ibn Sina, ethics are accidental attributes bestowed by the active intellect upon the soul when it is adequately receptive. Conversely, Mulla Sadra views ethics as essential dispositions—if the soul, as an agent, creates the conditions for existential expansion, the active intellect elevates the soul gradually, refining its existential rank. This active engagement of the soul, in Sadra’s perspective, contrasts with Ibn Sina’s passive view of the soul, leading to significantly different implications in ethics, psychology, and sociology. For instance, if the soul is seen as active, it does not merely submit to temperamental, familial, or social conditions, but strives for self-improvement and existential growth. However, if the soul is perceived as passive, then heredity, family, and society play a dominant role in shaping its personality, leading it to simply adapt to existing circumstances. Discussion of Results and Conclusions Ibn Sina advanced the discussion of ethics by emphasizing the role of practical reason in shaping ethical dispositions in relation to other animal faculties. However, due to weaknesses in his foundations—including the essentialist nature of ethics, the intellectual abstraction of the soul's essence, the perfection of the soul through ethical accidents, and the recipient-agent relationship between the soul and ethics—he was unable to provide a comprehensive explanation of ethical reality. In contrast, Mulla Sadra, by adopting an ontological rather than essentialist perspective on ethical dispositions, viewing the soul as corporeally originated, and asserting that its perfection occurs through intensified substantial motion, brought forward innovative philosophical insights. He argued that the human soul is not of a fixed essence, actively determines its substantial form, and that ethics constitute primary perfections, rather than secondary ones. Sadra demonstrated that ethics reflect the ontological rank of the soul and, consequently, manifest the substantial form of the self, through which actions emerge naturally, without prior deliberation. Mulla Sadra’s new approach to ethics, compared to Ibn Sina, led to several significant innovations, confirming the superiority of his theory. These include: Recognizing all human faculties as involved in ethical formation, rather than just practical reason, Establishing that ethics are corporeally originated, with parental conditions influencing their formation, Demonstrating the difficulty of changing ethical dispositions, highlighting the importance of education in society, and Introducing a new classification of faculties, which, compared to the principle of the mean, offers a more comprehensive understanding of virtues and vices.

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