A Semantic Analysis of Theoretical Reason and Practical Reason in the View of Mulla Sadra

Given the systematic nature of his philosophy, Mulla Sadra has categorized his semantic study of practical reason and theoretical reason under the theme of philosophical psychology. Following a descriptive-analytic approach, this paper explains his views in the field of semantics of practical and theoretical types of reason and explores their epistemological realms. Mulla Sadra believes that reason is one of the faculties of the rational soul and refers to two theoretical and practical faculties in order to clarify its functions. He maintains that, in spite of their different functions, these two faculties are, in a way, concomitant with each other. Given its role in the perception of universals, theoretical reason provides the basic concepts for morality and ethics, and practical reason perceives particular practical affairs through such basic concepts. By considering theoretical reason as the perceiver of universal concepts, Mulla Sadra introduces it as the origin of the development of two theoretical and practical types of wisdom. Regarding practical reason, neither, like some philosophers, does he consider it to be a purely practical faculty, nor, like some others, does he equate it with theoretical reason in terms of status. Rather, he believes that practical reason is capable of a kind of particular perception along with inference.