The concept of change in the philosophy of Mulla Sadra and Hegel: a comparative analysis

© 2010 Dr. Muhamad Razak IdrisThe meaning of change is one of the fundamental subjects of inquiry of philosophy. It plays a substantial role in providing our understanding of reality. This thesis investigates the meaning of change from the perspectives of Mulla Sadra and Hegel and compares them. Through this comparative analysis, the concept and the ontological position of change, its characteristics and the framework of its evolvement in the world will be elucidated upon. In the history of philosophy, there were at least three patterns of thought of the meaning of change that I found. They were; a total acceptance of the principality of change, a total rejection of its reality and finally a conciliatory position combining the both. This dynamic discourse of change and the ways thinkers have approached its meaning are elaborated on in chapter two of this study. The concept of change in the philosophy of Mulla Sadra and Hegel is discussed in chapter three and four. Their understanding of the meaning of change is constructed from the ontology of Being, which is one of the fundamental aspects of philosophy. In this study, the meaning of Being and the reality of its existence as manifested in the world and as understood by both thinkers, is explored. Through this ontology, the study expounds upon the reality of change and the process of its evolvement in the world. In chapter five, the meaning of change as conceptualized by Mulla Sadra and Hegel is analyzed. The study divides the comparison into three major areas; the ontological meaning of change, the process of change and the characteristics of change. Based on this comparison, the framework of change from the perspective of Mulla Sadra and Hegel is established. In the conclusion, which is chapter six, the study discusses the findings and recommendations of the research. This study demonstrates the significance of the meaning of change as one of the intellectual means towards understanding reality as a whole. It also shows the substantiality and relevancy of the philosophy of Mulla Sadra and Hegel in the process of enriching of our knowledge of the world and the application of this to contemporary life