چکیده مبسوط

(Extended Abstract)

1)      Introduction

The present study investigates the possibility of extending and applying Sadrian anthropology to the transformation of the humanities and social sciences, with particular emphasis on the concept of “transcendent freedom” in the philosophy of Mulla Sadra. Contemporary human sciences are deeply rooted in specific anthropological and metaphysical assumptions; consequently, any transformation of the humanities requires a transformation at the level of foundational philosophical principles. The article argues that the prevailing secular and anthropocentric paradigms of modern human sciences are grounded in a reductionist understanding of the human being, whereas Sadrian philosophy offers a comprehensive metaphysical anthropology capable of reorienting the humanities toward transcendence, ethics, spirituality, and human perfection.

In Sadrian thought, freedom is not merely political or psychological autonomy, nor merely the absence of external coercion. Rather, genuine freedom is existential and ontological. The article defines “transcendent freedom” as the human being’s gradual approximation to the Infinite Truth through self-knowledge and existential perfection. Such freedom is realized through liberation from lower existential attachments and movement toward higher ontological degrees. Accordingly, freedom is inseparable from spiritual expansion, existential intensity, moral purification, and nearness to God. In contrast, surrender to passions and material attachments constitutes existential captivity and spiritual degradation.

The article seeks to answer the following central question: how can the principles of Sadrian anthropology, particularly the doctrine of transcendent freedom, contribute to the transformation and elevation of contemporary human sciences? The study maintains that the metaphysical and anthropological foundations of Sadrian philosophy possess extensive applicability in disciplines such as psychology, education, political science, law, ethics, sociology, and theories of development and culture. Unlike modern secular approaches, Sadrian anthropology interprets the human being as a dynamic, spiritually oriented reality whose existential journey extends from material embodiment toward divine perfection.

The originality of the study lies in its systematic articulation of “transcendent freedom” and its application to the reconstruction of the humanities. Although previous studies have discussed Islamic human sciences, fitrah, ethics, or Sadrian anthropology separately, no research has comprehensively theorized the extension of transcendent freedom into the transformation of the humanities through an integrated Sadrian framework.

2)      Methodology

This research employs a philosophical-analytical and inferential methodology grounded in the principles of Transcendent Philosophy (al-Ḥikmah al-Mutaʿāliyah). The study primarily relies on conceptual analysis of the anthropological, ontological, epistemological, and ethical foundations of Mulla Sadra’s philosophy and examines their implications for the humanities. Classical Sadrian texts, together with interpretive works by contemporary scholars of Islamic philosophy, constitute the principal sources of analysis.

The methodological framework proceeds in two stages. First, the article reconstructs the concept of transcendent freedom by examining Sadrian doctrines such as the primacy and unity of existence, substantial motion, existential gradation, the relational nature of contingent beings, self-knowledge, moral realism, and the theory of human perfection. Second, the study extends these principles into the field of human sciences and derives normative foundations for an alternative paradigm of humanities rooted in Islamic metaphysics and anthropology.

The research also adopts a comparative-critical approach toward modern Western human sciences. It argues that dominant secular paradigms are shaped by anthropological presuppositions such as materialism, utilitarianism, individualism, and anthropocentrism. In contrast, Sadrian anthropology presents the human being as a multidimensional and transcendence-oriented reality whose ultimate perfection lies in nearness to God and realization of the Perfect Human.

3)      Discussion & Results

The study demonstrates that transcendent freedom in Sadrian philosophy possesses at least seven major components that collectively provide the foundations for transforming the humanities.

First, Sadrian freedom is fundamentally theological and grounded in the doctrine of the unity of existence. Human beings are not independent entities detached from ultimate reality; rather, they are existentially related to God and derive meaning from their orientation toward the Absolute. Consequently, human sciences must be reconstructed within a tawḥīd-centered worldview rather than a secular or anthropocentric framework.

Second, transcendent freedom is inseparable from fitrah (the innate divine disposition). Human beings possess an intrinsic orientation toward perfection and the Infinite. Therefore, authentic human sciences should harmonize with this primordial nature and cultivate its realization instead of suppressing or distorting it. The article argues that modern secular theories frequently ignore or deny the ontological reality of fitrah, thereby reducing the human being to instinctual or social dimensions alone.

Third, the article emphasizes the ethical nature of freedom. In Sadrian philosophy, ethics is ontologically real rather than merely conventional or subjective. Virtues expand and elevate the soul, whereas vices imprison the human being within lower existential levels. Hence, the humanities cannot remain ethically neutral. Disciplines such as psychology, education, politics, and law must recognize moral realities as constitutive of human identity and flourishing.

Fourth, transcendent freedom is inseparable from human dignity and rationality. Sadrian anthropology presents the human being as a reality possessing sensory, imaginative, rational, and spiritual dimensions. Genuine freedom therefore involves liberation from domination by lower instincts and movement toward intellectual and spiritual perfection. The article criticizes reductionist theories—especially certain materialist and psychoanalytic paradigms—that reduce human existence to biological drives or economic interests.

Fifth, the study argues that the philosophy of Sharīʿah in Sadrian thought is fundamentally emancipatory. Divine law is not merely a legal system but a spiritual program for liberating humanity from existential bondage. Religious practices and ethical obligations contribute to purification of the soul and existential elevation. Consequently, Islamic human sciences must integrate revelation and Sharīʿah into their theoretical foundations and practical applications.

Sixth, the article rejects the possibility of secular human sciences from a Sadrian perspective. Since worldly actions and moral dispositions directly shape the soul’s eternal reality, the separation of religion from social, political, economic, and educational life becomes ontologically impossible. The world and the hereafter are existentially interconnected; thus, the humanities cannot legitimately ignore spirituality or transcendence.

Seventh, Sadrian human sciences are fundamentally teleological. Human existence possesses a transcendent goal represented by the realization of the Perfect Human. Therefore, the humanities should not merely describe or regulate human behavior but should guide humanity toward existential perfection. The theory of the Perfect Human provides the ultimate horizon for education, politics, ethics, management, and social organization.

The study further argues that the central distinction between modern Western human sciences and Sadrian human sciences lies in their divergent conceptions of the human being. Modern secular paradigms generally define humanity through material self-interest, instrumental rationality, and utilitarian desire, whereas Sadrian anthropology conceives the human being as an existentially dynamic reality journeying toward absolute perfection.

4)      Conclusion

The article concludes that Sadrian anthropology, particularly through the concept of transcendent freedom, offers a coherent philosophical foundation for the transformation of contemporary human sciences. Transcendent freedom is defined not as unrestricted individual autonomy but as existential liberation through nearness to the Infinite Truth and self-transcendence in the path of spiritual perfection.

The research demonstrates that Sadrian human sciences are characterized by seven foundational principles: theological orientation, harmony with fitrah, ethical realism, preservation of human dignity, integration of Sharīʿah, rejection of secularism, and teleological orientation toward the Perfect Human. These principles collectively provide an alternative paradigm capable of overcoming the reductionism, secularism, and moral relativism of modern human sciences.

Ultimately, the study argues that the transformation of the humanities requires a transformation in anthropological foundations. Since every theory of society, education, law, politics, or psychology presupposes a specific understanding of the human being, the reconstruction of human sciences must begin with a reconstructed metaphysical anthropology. Sadrian philosophy, through its dynamic and transcendence-oriented conception of humanity, provides a comprehensive intellectual framework for such a transformation and opens the possibility for a spiritually grounded, ethically oriented, and theologically integrated model of the humanities.