Mulla Sadra's Seddiqin Argument For the Existence of God

Preface

In The Name Of God

This research is about a controversial discussion in the philosophy of religion, namely "Is there any rational argument for the existence of God in which reason can have confidence?" There are many answers to this question that have occupied a major part of traditional and modern philosophies; and in the history of Islamic philosophy there is no exception. One of the most notable answers is the Argument called "Seddiqin Argument."

This argument has some characteristics and advantages over other arguments. Islamic philosophers have found it a rational way to God and have set forth new aspects in describing it. The most famous version of this argument has been proposed by Sadr al-Din Shirazi (980/1572-1050/1640), called also "Mulla Sadra". He set forth his argument and its foundations in detail in his book “Al-Asfar ”. There are some difficulties in understanding his argument and its foundations, which are scattered in this and his other books. This argument is proposed in the framework of Islamic philosophy, which differs from Western philosophy in some aspects. In this research I am going to simplify his argument, propose it in the framework of Western philosophy and survey its power for answering systematic criticisms against arguments for the existence of God.

As some readers may lack information about Islamic philosophy and the position of Mulla Sadra in its history, at the beginning, a preparatory chapters will provide some introductory knowledge about Mulla Sadra and his position in the history of Islamic philosophy, but the work presents the Seddiqin Argument as a philosophical solution to a philosophical question, not a survey of the philosophical theory of one philosopher. Many thanks to Ayatollah Khameneii and SIPRIn Publication to give me the permission to use one chapter ofMulla Sadra's Transcendent Philosophy for the explanation of Mulla Sadra's life and work. The book which is written by Ayatollah Khameneii is the last and the best work written for those who want to have introductory knowledge about Mulla Sadra.