The Journal of Political Thought in Islam

The Journal of Political Thought in Islam

The Feasibility of Implementing Mulla Sadra’s Political Philosophy in Building an Islamic State: A Comparative Analysis of the ‘Possibility’ and ‘Impossibility’ Perspectives

Document Type : Original Article

Author
PhD in Political Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
10.22034/jpti.2026.571281.1495
Abstract
This study examines and compares two scholarly perspectives—the "Possibility" and "Impossibility" schools—regarding the applicability of Mulla Sadra's political philosophy in constructing an Islamic government. The primary objective of this research is not merely to prove or disprove such applicability, but rather to investigate, evaluate, and comparatively analyze the text-based arguments advanced by each intellectual camp (represented by Lekzayi and Sadr in the Possibility school, and Tabatabaei and Davari in the Impossibility school) in support of their respective claims. The research employs a qualitative, descriptive-analytical methodology based on library research and systematic content analysis of primary and secondary sources. The findings indicate that the fundamental difference between the two schools lies not only in their conclusions but also in their methodological approaches to interpreting Mulla Sadra's texts and their historical-social readings of the Safavid period. The Possibility school, drawing upon concepts such as "the primacy of existence" (asalat al-wujud), "substantial motion," and "Wilayah" (Guardianship), extracts a coherent political system from Sadra's works, emphasizing the compatibility of Transcendent Wisdom with Islamic governance. In contrast, the Impossibility school, emphasizing the "decline of political thought" in post-Farabi Islamic philosophy and the "reiteration of al-Farabi's ideas," regards the practical application of Sadra's philosophy as unfeasible for addressing contemporary political challenges. The study concludes that the feasibility of implementing Mulla Sadra's political philosophy depends on the manner in which these arguments are critically interpreted, contextually adapted, and methodologically re-examined in light of contemporary conditions. Ultimately, this research underscores the necessity of moving beyond binary interpretations toward a nuanced, critical engagement with Sadra's philosophical legacy for meaningful political theorization in the Islamic world today.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 March 2026