Investigating the Scholars’ Views on Origination and Pre-eternity of Human Soul

Discussion of the origination or pre-eternity of the human soul is one of the oldest and the most challenging discussions among the thinkers. The thinkers, with their various intellectual foundations and research methods, have different views in this regard. Many of the Islamic theologians believe in the temporal pre-eternity of the soul, except a small group including Khaja Nasir who believes in its origination. Among the philosophers, Plato – on the basis of his Ideas – believes in the pre-eternity of the soul. On the contrary, his pupil Aristotle, Avicenna, and Sheikh of Illumination reject the view of pre-eternity of the soul with their arguments, believe in its origination. Similarly, Mulla Sadra of Shiraz believes in its origination. He, however, uses the foundations of transcendental philosophy such as substantial motion to state his belief in corporeal origination of the soul and its spiritual survival – unlike Avicenna who believes in the spiritual origination of the soul. The mystics who have an important share in Mulla Sadra’s intellectual foundations seems to believe in the corporeal origination of the soul along with a belief in its integrative existence with its higher beings.