A Critical Examination of Mullā Sadrā’s Theory of the Correspondence of Existential Realms within the Framework of the Epistemological Correspondence Theory of Truth
Mullā Sadrā interprets “correspondence” in the “correspondence theory of truth” as the quiddity identity (ʿayniyyat-e māhuwī) between mental existence (wujūd-e dhihnī) and the external existence (wujūd-e khārijī) of the known object. This view faces a challenge: according to Sadra’s principle of the primacy of existence, mental and external existences occupy two distinct existential ranks. Thus, these two existences cannot possess identical quiddities. Consequently, Sadra's theory of the quiddity identity between mental and external existence conflicts with his principle of the primacy of existence. Sadrā attempts to resolve this inconsistency through his theory of the correspondence of existential realms (tatābuq-e 'awālim-e wujūdī). This article demonstrates that while Sadrā provides a precise explanation of what correspondence (in quiddity identity) entails, his theory of existential correspondence falls short in resolving the aforementioned inconsistency, because according to the theory of existential correspondence, knowledge of an external object entails knowing it through knowledge of its qualities in an indeterminate (lā bishart) manner. Yet mere indeterminate knowledge of an object's qualities does not imply knowledge of the object itself. True knowledge of an external object requires distinguishing it from other objects, which necessitates knowing it in a determinate (bishart-e lā) rather than an indeterminate way.
Kashfi, A., Saadat, H., & Faramarz Gharamaleki, A. (2025). A Critical Examination of Mullā Sadrā’s Theory of the Correspondence of Existential Realms within the Framework of the Epistemological Correspondence Theory of Truth. Journal of Philosophical Theological Research, (), -. doi: 10.22091/jptr.2025.11701.3184
MLA
Abdolrasoul Kashfi; Hosein Saadat; Ahad Faramarz Gharamaleki. "A Critical Examination of Mullā Sadrā’s Theory of the Correspondence of Existential Realms within the Framework of the Epistemological Correspondence Theory of Truth". Journal of Philosophical Theological Research, , , 2025, -. doi: 10.22091/jptr.2025.11701.3184
HARVARD
Kashfi, A., Saadat, H., Faramarz Gharamaleki, A. (2025). 'A Critical Examination of Mullā Sadrā’s Theory of the Correspondence of Existential Realms within the Framework of the Epistemological Correspondence Theory of Truth', Journal of Philosophical Theological Research, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22091/jptr.2025.11701.3184
VANCOUVER
Kashfi, A., Saadat, H., Faramarz Gharamaleki, A. A Critical Examination of Mullā Sadrā’s Theory of the Correspondence of Existential Realms within the Framework of the Epistemological Correspondence Theory of Truth. Journal of Philosophical Theological Research, 2025; (): -. doi: 10.22091/jptr.2025.11701.3184
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