Mulla Sadra's Philosophy: Eclecticism or Innovation?
Abstract
Mulla Sadra's place in the process of the development of philosophical thought is such that if we consider his system of philosophy a result of eclecticism and combination of different thoughts and ideas, he plays the role of a spectator in this regard. However, if we consider his school of thought as being based on new and innovative ideas, he plays the role of the innovator in this process, rather than one who simply witnesses the process of development without having any effect in this respect.An accurate study of Mulla Sadra's books and comparing them with those of his predecessors reveal that he has introduced a specific system of philosophy which is absolutely unprecedented and innovative. In fact, it is impossible for a distinct system to have been- devised through the collection and combination of different ideas issued by different schools of thought. In other words, Mulla Sadra's philosophical system possesses some innovative bases which have never been introduced by any other philosopher before.