Explaining Action by the Relationship between Belief, Character and Behavior in Mulla Sadra’s Philosophy

Focusing on the interconnection between belief, character, and behavior can yield a novel understanding of the concept of 'action'. This research aims to formulate a definition of 'action' based on this relationship, employing a descriptive-analytical methodology. Sadra distinguishes 'action' from a mere doing by positing that 'awareness precedes action'. Practical intellect is responsible for cultivating this awareness, which is facilitated by theoretical intellect's grasp of universal concepts. Each of the three components of religious stations—knowledge, states, and actions—can be viewed both as consequences and antecedents. The repeated performance of actions preceded by awareness, derived from practical intellect, gives rise to acquired dispositions and ethics within the soul. Subsequently, these dispositions foster knowledge. The outcome of this knowledge is a state and a disposition that catalyze actions. Actions preceded by deeper knowledge result in more solidified dispositions, which, in turn, influence the soul's knowledge-based functioning. From this perspective, actions are preparatory steps towards attaining wisdom and serve as precursors to knowledge. Both actions and dispositions are ultimately linked to the purification of the heart, a process of negation that involves removing the obstacles imposed by the sensory realms to reach the ultimate truth. Consequently, the role of action in this relationship is secondary and incidental rather than being the intrinsic or primary objective.