An evaluation of Mulla Sadra's critique to Suhrawardi's analysis of "other-consciousness"

Abstract

Suhrawardi's view of "other-consciousness" has encountered with Mulla Sadra's critique. Suhrawardi believes that the self-conscious existent is "the light in itself". He considers that the "other-consciousness" is the result of the self-conscious existent's luminous relation to other existent or acquiring their intelligible forms. Mulla Sadra argues that Suhrawardi's analysis of "other-consciousness" is incorrect and reasons leastwise three arguments against the Suhrawardi's theory about "luminous relation". Mulla Sadra although has accepted the Suhrawardi's analysis of "self-consciousness", but he has interpreted the "light" (noor) in Suhrawardi's view as the existence (wojood). This article -after expression three Mulla Sadra's critical arguments to Suhrawardi- criticized them. According to the authors of this article all three of Sadr's arguments in the critique of Suhrawardi's analysis of "other-consciousness" are defective. Furthermore, we believe that the Mulla Sadra's interpration of "light" (noor) in Suhrawardi's statement is incorrect. The purpose of this article is only to illustrate the defectiveness of his critical arguments to Suhrawardi and it is by no means a positive defense of Suhrawardi's point of view.