The Challenge of Unity or multiplicity of Human Species from Mulla Sadra's Perspective

Mulla Sadra considers humans to be a single species in the ecstasy of the world, and at the same time, he introduces human beings as multiple and different internally. His interpretation of multiplicity is something which is in change moment-by-moment. This duality in relation to unity has created the suspicion eclecticism in his views and has made the disentanglement of duality difficult. He accepts the criteria through which theologian come up with a new species and considers the speech capability of human beings as a criterion for considering all human beings belonging to the same species; however, relying on his theory of substantial motion, he sees human beings as becoming new moment-by-moment. This ambiguity, which can be attributed to the lack of formation of science of logic based on transcendental theology, has make it difficult to clarify the criterion based on Mulla Sadra’s point of view. The present study is concerned with the duality of unity and multiplicity of the human species, and the goal is to resolve the duality. However, the conclusion is that, although the idea of plurality of human species has a clear framework originated from transcendental theology, it is not easy to integrate this idea with the emphasis that Milla Sadra has made on the unity of human species in the ecstasy of the world.