A Step into the World of Philosophical Psychology in a Book
According to Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Qom, philosophical psychology of the soul has been one of the most important issues and concerns for great philosophers like Avicenna and Mulla Sadra. Due to its significant and far-reaching impact on various aspects of human life and its fundamental role in many sciences, it has always been at the center of attention for scholars and taught across numerous fields.
The book “Lesson Plan of Philosophical Psychology” presents a concise report and explanation of the most critical philosophical discussions concerning the soul, structured into 14 lessons based on Sadra’s philosophy; though it also includes considerations of the Peripatetic school’s perspective, especially Avicenna’s views.
The first lesson addresses “The Importance of Anthropology” and explains the role of human studies in the three fundamental principles of belief, as well as its function in education and training. After defining “human” linguistically and philosophically in the second lesson, the third lesson focuses on “Definition and Proof of the Soul,” citing definitions by Aristotle, Avicenna, and later scholars, and dedicating a section to proving the existence of the soul.
“Substantiality of the Soul” is the title of the fourth lesson, discussing whether the soul is an accident or substance. Three arguments for the soul’s substantiality are presented, along with a critique and analysis of one specific objection to substantiality, and a clarification of the objection. The fifth and sixth lessons present four arguments for “Incorporeality of the Animal Soul” and eight arguments for “Incorporeality of the Human Soul,” respectively.
In the seventh lesson, the author includes “Scriptural Evidence for the Incorporeality of the Soul (Quranic and narrations).” The faculties of the vegetative and animal souls are discussed in a separate lesson, defining faculty and enumerating the soul’s powers. The ninth lesson, covering “Faculties of the Human Soul,” explains concepts related to theoretical and practical reason, and further details the levels of theoretical and practical reason.
Following the explanation of “Multiplicity of Faculties and Their Existential Unity with the Soul” in the tenth lesson, the eleventh lesson addresses “The Relationship Between Soul and Body,” describing different types of attachments and Quranic evidence for how the soul relates to the body. “Origin and Eternity of the Soul” is the title of the subsequent lesson, reviewing and critiquing arguments for both the eternity and origin of the soul.
The thirteenth lesson, dedicated to “Movement and Evolution of the Soul,” discusses the soul’s movement and arguments for the stability of incorporeal beings. It clarifies the views of the Peripatetic school and Mulla Sadra on how the soul moves, and presents reasons for the substantial movement (Harakat-e Jawhari) of the soul.
The fourteenth and final lesson addresses “Immortality and Eternity of the Soul,” examining the soul’s imperishability and reviewing and critiquing the theory of reincarnation (Tanasukh). It discusses the outcome of reincarnation and arguments for the impossibility of reincarnation, concluding with a discussion on reincarnation and bodily resurrection.
The book “Lesson Plan of Philosophical Psychology” by Alireza Asaadi, comprising 160 pages, has been published by Boostan Institute.
