Methodology of Mulla Sadra's Philosophy

Mulla Sadra's school of philosophy is an example of the systems of knowledge that have been influenced by the legacy of early philosophies and have influenced later philosophical trends. However, the question is how we can explain his being influenced by previous philosophical thoughts. Has he presented an incoherent mixture of philosophical theories by combining early philosophers' philosophical ideas? Or, has he found access to a principial philosophical system through creativity and innovation? Still another question is, basically, what was Mulla Sadra's method of philosophical research which led to the creation of such a system?

No book has ever dealt with Mulla Sadra's method of philosophical research satisfactorily; however, the Sadra Islamic Philosophy Institute has recently published a book by Dr. Ahad Faramarz Qaramaliki which has systematically analyzed the school of Transcendent Philosophy and succeeded in revealing the comprehensiveness of Mulla Sadra's philosophical system.

This book consists of an Introduction, 2 parts, and 12 chapters. In the first part, the writer has dealt with various ambiguities and questions concerning Mulla Sadra's school of philosophy in 8 chapters. The most important of these questions pertains to eclecticism in Mulla Sadra's philosophy which the writer has extensively discussed under titles such as the Illuminationist Ibn Sina and gnostic philosophy following the method of Ibn Arabi's theological  - philosophical thoughts.

In the second part, the writer follows a demonstrative approach and believes that the Transcendent Philosophy follows an interdisciplinary approach. In other words, Mulla Sadra had learnt about the importance of such studies in the analysis of theological problems 4 centuries ago and had managed to develop some effective patterns in leading interdisciplinary studies through creativity and innovation.