Towards a Metaphysics of Quantum Gravity: A Novel Reconciliation between Presentist Fragmentalism and Mulla Sadra’s Essential Movement

Abstract

This paper explores a novel reconciliation between the contemporary quantum gravity approach of Presentist Fragmentalism (PF) and the classical Islamic metaphysics of Mulla Sadra, particularly his doctrine of essential movement (al-haraka al-jawhariyya) and the Necessary Being (Wajib al-Wujud). Presentist Fragmentalism posits that individual quantum fragments possess inherent A-series temporality, challenging the notion of a universal “now.” Mulla Sadra’s philosophy, conversely, asserts that all essential movement and becoming originate from an external, ultimate source: the Necessary Being. We identify the apparent tension between the “inherent” nature of temporality in PF and the “external” source of Sadraean motion. Through conceptual mathematical mappings, we propose a unified framework where the fundamental laws of quantum gravity (as the general dynamics of the universe) are seen as an expression of the Necessary Being’s continuous actualization, thus grounding the inherent A-series of quantum fragments within a holistic, divinely-driven process of becoming. This approach suggests a deeper metaphysical layer informing the physical laws of the universe. This conceptual paper proposes a novel reconciliation between Presentist Fragmentalism (PF), a contemporary approach to quantum gravity, and the metaphysics of Mulla Sadra. A central challenge addressed is the apparent conflict between the “inherent” temporality described in PF and the notion of an “external” divine source of motion in Sadra’s philosophy. We argue that this tension can be resolved by reinterpreting “external” not as spatial or temporal separation, but as ontological dependence upon the ultimate reality of the Necessary Being. The proposed framework posits the laws of quantum gravity as the physical manifestation of Sadra’s “essential movement,” grounded in this ultimate reality.