Mulla Sadra and the Primacy of Existence

Mulla sadra is considered unanimously as the most influentialphilosopherin the islamic philosop!?y tradition in the ia.rt jour hundredyears. mullasadra 'sphilosop!?y is founded on existence as the unique constituent ofreality and its primary, the intensity of existence, and finallytransubstantiality orsubstantial motion of being.mulla sadra made the primary of existence as the main basis of hisphilosop!?y. he distinguishes betueen the concept of being andthe reality ofbeing. thefir.rt, is the mostobvious of all concepts andthemost unioersal,iljhile the second, is the most ambiguous, since it requires presenceknowledge andpure intellect, which would be able to discern existence asreality.farabi and ibn sinaperceived that in the existence-quiddity relationship,existence is an accident. ai-suhrawardi holds the theory more radical thatexistence is merely a mental concept withno corresponding reality andit isquiddity, which constitutes reality. ibn rssbd hadmticizedthisapproach.mulla sadra despite all islamic philosop!?y tradition and his teacher, mirdamadadopts an opposite and new outlook. his fundamental doctrine isprincipality ofexistence, andthen quddities are the mental constructs.r£ality is then the base of existence, which isgraded and existentiating thereality of all things. mulla sadra at first followed his teacher and onlyafter visionary and gnostic existence, came to realize that it is existence,which bestows reality andhasprimary on quiddity.