A Dialogue on Dynamics: Mulla Sadra’s Essential Movement and Presentist-Fragmentalism in Quantum Gravity

Abstract

The nature of consciousness and the soul remains one of philosophy’s oldest enigmas and science’s most formidable challenges. This paper explores the distinctive philosophy of Mulla Sadra (c. 1571 CE-1640 CE) regarding consciousness, rooting it in his revolutionary doctrine of Essential Movement (al-Harakat al-Jawhariyyah). Unlike previous philosophers who largely adhered to a static understanding of substance, Sadra posited a continuous, inherent transformation of all material beings, culminating in the emergence of the soul as a higher, more perfected mode of existence. This paper will first delineate Sadra’s unique metaphysical framework for consciousness, emphasizing its dynamic and emergent nature. Subsequently, it will compare Sadra’s views with those of pre-Sadraean Islamic philosophers, particularly Avicenna, highlighting the crucial shifts his doctrine introduced. Finally, it will engage Sadra’s ideas with prominent contemporary scientific approaches to consciousness, such as Integrated Information Theory and Presentist-Fragmentalism in quantum gravity, exploring points of conceptual resonance and inherent divergence, including potential, albeit speculative, mathematical mappings. This interdisciplinary analysis underscores the enduring relevance of Sadra’s thought in enriching modern discussions on the mind-body problem and the fundamental fabric of reality.