Value of Knowledge in Mulla Sadra Philosophy

To explain knowledge representativeness, at first, notions such as knowledge, representativeness and then levels and kinds of knowledge will be explained and then it will be determined that whether knowledge is material or immaterial. Thus, we have to find what Mulla Sadra means by knowledge. Our studies show that he considers concept, instead of quiddity, for knowledge. Also he regards knowledge as existence, and thinks that like existence it is self-evident; though to make some notice, he provides some arguments for knowledge. Mulla Sadra thinks that, like existence, knowledge is gradated, and considers for it kinds such as sense, imaginal, and rational knowledge. He believes that knowledge is an immaterial existence in its all grades and kinds. For him, relation between knowledge and knower is an emanative one; thus, he rejects immanent relation of the soul with all perceived things; and considers the relation between the soul and the known as the relation between agent and act. For Mulla Sadra, representativeness of various levels of knowledge is as follows: he thinks that the mere relation between rational perception and Active Intellect, which is the unity of the real (Active Intellect) and the lower (Rational Perception) suffices to make a distinction between the lower and the real. This representativeness is established between imaginal and sense perception and Active Intellect and soul as well. The important point concerns representativeness of sense perception of the accidental (sensory form in the world of nature). He believes that sensory form is a lower level of the Ideal form of the Active Intellect, since sense perception by the soul is lower than the Active Intellect and the soul. Representativeness between sense perception and the accidental is justified through the Active Intellect.