The Role of Accidental Lights in Sadrian System of Emanation

Abstract

Clarifying the nature of accidental lights is one of the main parts of Suhrawardi’s emanative structure. Having elaborated the way these lights illuminate and the role they play in creating Lords of Species (archetypes), he innovatively explained parallel (horizontal) multiplicities of intellects whose presences make all entities possible in all worlds lie below the world of Power (Alam al-Jabarut), i.e., alam al-malakut and alam al-mulk.Mulla-Sadra, who has often mentioned Platonic Ideas in his works and considered himself as a defender of this theory, was intensely influenced by Suhrawardi’s emanative structure and especially his theory of Lords of Species (archetypes), which are equivalent to Platonic Ideas. Although Mulla-Sadra mostly owes his ontological structure to Suhrawardi’s emanative one, he, when dealt with the problem of accidental lights, which provides a basis for Lords of the Species to be possible, presumes that believing in accidental lights is in conflict with the principle of complete actuality of intellects and their pure incorporeity. In this article, firstly, we make it clear why even if someone adheres to Mulla-Sadra's position regarding complete actuality of intellects, he can still accept Lords of the Species. He can explain the creation of parallel (horizontal) order of intellects by referring to different aspects of intellects lie in ascending (vertical) order. Secondly, we show that Mulla-Sadra was not justified in believing in complete actuality of intellects. Because it is not one of the principles of Transcendent Wisdom (Al-Hikma al-muta ‘aliya), nor does it cohere with other main principles of this philosophical system.

Keywords

• mulla-sadra
• suhrawardi
• accidental lights
• lords of species (archetypes)
• parallel intellects
• emanative structure
• platonic ideas