Mullā Ṣadrā and Causation: Rethinking a Problem in Later Islamic Philosophy

A central assumption in this essay, in terms of both historical development and methological approach, is that later Islamic philosophy is characterized by a shift from a substance-based metaphysics to a process-oriented metaphysics. Defenders of substance metaphysics often focus on the nature of ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophy east & west 2005-10, Vol.55 (4), p.570-583
Main Author: Rizvi, Sajjad H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aristotelianism
Causality
Causation
Causation (Philosophy)
Concept of being
Existence
God
History of religion
Hume, David (1711-1776)
Ibn Sina (980-1037)
Islam
Islamic philosophy
Metaphysics
Methodology
Ontology
Philosophy
Plotinus (205-70)
Shirazi, Sadra Mulla
Skepticism
Sufism
Theology
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Summary:A central assumption in this essay, in terms of both historical development and methological approach, is that later Islamic philosophy is characterized by a shift from a substance-based metaphysics to a process-oriented metaphysics. Defenders of substance metaphysics often focus on the nature of causation to attack process metaphysics. If there is no substance or substratum for process, then how can events have any causal nature? If neither cause nor the caused are somehow stable in terms of their essence and essential features, then how can one be said to act upon the other? After considering the function of causation in other metaphysical systems and certain skeptical denials of causation, its role in the mystical thought and onto-theology of the Iranian philosopher Mullā Sadrā (d. 1641) is examined.
ISSN:0031-8221
1529-1898
1529-1898
DOI:10.1353/pew.2005.0042