Al-Hikmat al-muta'aliyyah fi al-asfar al-arba'ah, vol. 4

In the fourth volume of al-Asfar, Mulla Sadra discusses the issues related to substances and accidents (categories). These issues are usually studied and discussed in philosophy books under "substances and accidents", and in logical texts under the "ten-fold categories".

In the philosophical collection of al-Asfar, substances and accidents have been discussed under the title of "al-Safar al-thani" (the second journey) in two volumes (4^th and 5^th). The present book is on the different types of accidents and the related principles. It also presents an introduction to substances. The part on accidents consists of a short Introduction and three "fans". The first fan is on the category of "quantity"; the second is on the category of "quality"; the third is on other categories.

The editor of the book poses the following in the Introduction to the fourth volume of al-Asfar:

1. How can we demonstrate that each of the ten-fold categories is of a superior genus in relation to the different types of genus included in itself?

2. Why is it impossible for two of these categories to be categorized under a superior genus?

3. Why is it impossible for any other thing or category to exist out of the domain of these ten-fold categories?

4. Is the division of these categories into their types based on differentia or accidents?

He has also referred to the place of the discussion of categories and their relation to the issues related to words in the Introduction. Moreover, he has presented the ideas of philosophers as to whether the discussion of categories is logical or philosophical.

The fourth volume of al-Hikmat al-muta'aliyyah fi al-asfar al-arba'ah has been published with the edition, research, and Introduction by Dr. Maqsud Muhammedi under the supervision of Professor Seyyed Mohammed Khamenei, along with various indexes of the cited verses, hadiths, poems, etc. in 494 pages by the Sadra Islamic Philosophy Institute.