INTRODUCTION
- Mulla Sadra’s theosophic doctrine of Substantial Motion asserts that not only cosmic coincidence, but the very substance of all things, is in perpetual flux - a groundbreaking metaphysical stance within Islamic thought.
- Whitehead’s Process Philosophy, formulated within the early 20th-century Western tradition, describes reality not as a collection of static substances but as a web of interconnected events or “actual occasions.”
- Meanwhile, Quantum Field Theory, the bedrock of modern physics, reveals a universe woven from dynamic fields, probabilistic events, and continuous processes of interaction.
Rereading Mulla Sadra’s Substantial Motion: Bridging Whiteheadian Process Philosophy and Quantum Ontology by Abolfazl Minaee
Abstract
This study undertakes a profound exploration of the conceptual convergences among Mulla Sadra’s doctrine of al-ḥarakat al-jawhariyya (substantial motion), Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy, and contemporary quantum ontology, aiming to forge a novel metaphysical synthesis that bridges Islamic philosophy with modern philosophy of science.Through an intricate comparative and conceptual analysis, it argues that Sadra’s dynamic ontology of becoming offers a robust framework for interpreting Whiteheaud’s processual metaphysics while simultaneously providing a unique lens to address interpretive challenges in quantum mechanics, such as wave function collapse, quantum entanglement, and superposition.By meticulously identifying shared ontological commitments to flux, relationality, and emergence, this paper proposes substantial motion as a unifying metaphysical paradigm that transcends cultural and disciplinary boundaries.This interdisciplinary endeavor not only fosters a cross-cultural dialogue but also contributes to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the nature of being in a quantum world, inviting philosophers to reconsider the foundations of reality through a processual lens.
1. Islamic Metaphysical Origin (Mulla Sadra, 17th c.)
- Philosopher: Mulla Sadra (Islamic Iran, Transcendent Theosophy)
- Core Idea: Not only accidents (qualities, quantities) but substance itself is in constant motion.
- Classical Aristotelian thought saw substances as fixed while qualities (color, place, size) change.
- Mulla Sadra flipped this: "Substance is in continuous ontological flow—changing, becoming, never fixed."
Result:
- The universe is a ceaselessly renewing tide of being.
- God is the ultimate cause of this ongoing creative flow.
- Existence itself is dynamic, becoming is reality.
- Though built within Shi'a Islamic metaphysics, Sadra's idea was philosophical, bridging theology, cosmology, and ontology.
- It aligns with Islamic concepts of God as ever-creating (al-Khaliq) but isn't core to Qur'anic doctrine.
3. Comparison to Physical Science
Is Sadra's theosophy a physical science? No—but...
- It’s a metaphysical doctrine, not derived from physics experiments.
- It philosophically anticipates later ideas like process ontology and dynamic fields in physics.
- Contemporary physics (e.g., field theory, quantum fluctuations) finds resonance, but substantial motion remains a philosophical stance, not a scientific theory.
4. Comparison to Process Philosophy
- Whitehead’s Process Philosophy similarly holds:
- > “Actuality is a process of becoming, not a substance persisting through change.”
- Both reject static substance metaphysics.
- Both suggest reality is constituted by dynamic, interrelated processes.
5. Summary
- Aspect - Substantial Motion
- Origin - Islamic Philosophy (Mulla Sadra)
- Domain - Metaphysics, not physics
- Core Concept - Substance itself is in continuous change
- Relation to Islam - A philosophical reading within Shi'a tradition
- Modern Resonance - Similar to Process Philosophy & Quantum Process
- Science? - No, but overlaps conceptually with dynamic field theories
Here is a visual alignment of Mulla Sadra’s Substantial Motion, Whitehead’s Process Philosophy, and Quantum Field Theory:
- Mulla Sadra (Islamic Metaphysics) - Theosophical, substance in motion
- Whitehead (Process Philosophy) - Ontological, becoming and relationality
- Quantum Field Theory (Modern Physics) - Empirical, fluctuating quantum fields
- They converge on dynamic ontology, relational being, and processual becoming, though each arises from distinct traditions: metaphysical, philosophical, or scientific.
CONCLUSION
The alignment of Substantial Motion, Process Philosophy, and Quantum Field Theory reveals a fascinating cross-cultural and interdisciplinary convergence: reality, at its deepest levels, is dynamic, interrelated, and perpetually in motion. Whether articulated through the theological metaphysics of Mulla Sadra, the philosophical constructs of Whitehead, or the empirical models of quantum physics, this shared vision suggests a profound metaphysical intuition running beneath the surface of human thought across centuries and civilizations.
Rather than isolated insights, these traditions together underscore a metamodern realization: existence is a flowing, unfolding tapestry of becoming. This synthesis offers not just a conceptual framework but also a powerful invitation - to embrace a worldview that honors process, fosters relational understanding, and recognizes the deep, dynamic interconnectedness of all things
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A Poem
A Dance of Becoming
by R.E. Slateŕ and ChatGPT
From ancient scrolls and scholar’s pen,
To quantum fields beyond our ken,
A single thread through time does weave —
All things in motion, all things perceive.
Sadra saw the world in flow,
A ceaseless pulse in all we know.
Whitehead drew the cosmic chart,
Of fleeting moments, and worlds that start.
The physicist in labs confined,
Found dancing fields that seeming fate designed.
Across vast spaces and through the small,
Cosmic processes bind, enfolding all.
Then let us learn this subtle art —
To see the whole within each part.
The world as song, as shifting stream,
As living, breathing, woven dream.
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