The Relationship Between Gratitude and Happiness in the Transcendent Philosophy

Mullā Ṣadrā believes that “gratitude” is a level and station that Man can attain and considers the knowledge and perception of the truth of gratitude to depend on anthropology. The three-fold pillars of gratitude in his view consist of knowledge, happiness, and act. Act is the prerequisite for attaining happiness, which, in turn, is a prerequisite for acquiring knowledge. Therefore, knowledge is the basis for gratitude, and act functions as a prerequisite to it. Accordingly, one can say that a truly thankful person is always happy, which manifests itself in practice in the form of benevolence, generosity, and sympathy. The reason behind this happiness and kindness to all people is the belief in God and His Oneness. In the Transcendent Philosophy, God is the source of infinite happiness; therefore, any relationship with Him is the same as being connected to the source of happiness and joy. Therefore, it can be concluded that gratitude is based on philosophical principles in Mullā Ṣadrā’s works so that reaching the highest level of thankfulness is only possible through attaining wisdom.