THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MORALITY AND HUMAN EXISTENCE IN THE HEREAFTER

MULLA SADRA'S PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

In the modern era, many individuals and societies experience a spiritual crisis marked by a loss of meaning in life and existential anxiety. Erich Fromm argued that although modern humans have achieved remarkable material progress, they continue to suffer from spiritual unrest and are increasingly vulnerable to stress, depression, and mental health disorders. This crisis reflects an imbalance in life, in which technological advancement and modern civilization contribute to the distortion of human values and the process of dehumanization. Materialistic, individualistic, and rationalistic modes of thinking increasingly dominate, replacing religious values and spiritual goals. The misuse of technology also negatively affects the environment and human ways of thinking, gradually eroding the essence of humanity. This crisis is often rooted in a worldview that separates the material and spiritual dimensions of life. In Islamic belief, eschatology—the belief in the Day of Resurrection—plays a crucial role in maintaining ethical and moral conduct. Mulla Sadra's thought, as articulated in his magnum opus Al-Ḥikmah al-Muta‘āliyah fī al-Asfār al-‘Aqliyyah al-Arba‘ah, offers a comprehensive eschatological perspective. He presents arguments concerning divine justice and the nature of truth, emphasizing that the afterlife is the realm of just recompense for human actions in this world. Mulla Sadra's philosophy underscores the importance of belief in the Day of Resurrection in shaping individual ethics and morality, while also providing a response to the spiritual crisis of modern humanity.