A Study on Up-Down Orientational Metaphors ‎in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Philosophy

According to the cognitive theory of metaphor, conceptual metaphors are an integral part ‎of the human mind so that we can see these metaphors in all aspects of human thoughts and ‎actions. A part of these metaphors is shaped based on up/down spatial orientations. Based ‎on these metaphors, spatial orientations play a significant role in human understanding of ‎many abstract concepts. These orientational metaphors are visible in ordinary and natural ‎languages, as well as in specialized and scientific texts.  It is shown in this paper that a part ‎of these up-down orientational metaphors have also been used in Mullā Ṣadrā's philosophy: ‎the “Having Control or Force Is Up, Being Subject to Control or Force Is Down” metaphor ‎has been used to understand the causal relationship. The “Good Is Up and Bad Is Down” ‎metaphor makes understandable that the source of good attributes is in transcendent and ‎higher world and the source of bad attributes is in material and lowest world. The “More ‎Perfect Is Up and Less Perfect Is Down” metaphor has been used to understand the ‎gradational hierarchy of the beings.‎