Revolutionary Sages: A Decolonial Reading of the Political Philosophy of Mulla Sadra through the Phenomenology of Frantz Fanon

In this work I focus on Mulla Sadra's philosophy of Being and I claim that it is open for decolonial reading that offers valuable insights from a philosophical perspective. A Sadrian view into the colonial condition is important for the following reasons. Firstly, Sadra's metaphysical ontology resonates with Fanon's phenomenological approach to the colonial condition and decolonization. As I demonstrate, the centering of Being as reality itself allows for a dialogue between Sadra and Fanon. Secondly, Sadra’s discourse on justice and the establishment of just society is closely tied with his philosophy of Being. In other words, his political philosophy is inseparable from his transcendental philosophy and this shows that the idea of countering oppression and establishing a just society follows directly from his main philosophical theses. This is particularly relevant to decolonial theory which is concerned with the problem of colonial and (neo)colonial oppression. Moreover, the...Show moreIn this work I focus on Mulla Sadra's philosophy of Being and I claim that it is open for decolonial reading that offers valuable insights from a philosophical perspective. A Sadrian view into the colonial condition is important for the following reasons. Firstly, Sadra's metaphysical ontology resonates with Fanon's phenomenological approach to the colonial condition and decolonization. As I demonstrate, the centering of Being as reality itself allows for a dialogue between Sadra and Fanon. Secondly, Sadra’s discourse on justice and the establishment of just society is closely tied with his philosophy of Being. In other words, his political philosophy is inseparable from his transcendental philosophy and this shows that the idea of countering oppression and establishing a just society follows directly from his main philosophical theses. This is particularly relevant to decolonial theory which is concerned with the problem of colonial and (neo)colonial oppression. Moreover, the larger Shia Islamic tradition to which Sadra belongs has given particular emphasis on the topics of oppression and its opposite- justice. Third, the political philosophy of Mulla Sadra has generally been understudied by Western scholars. The earlier Orientalist readings of Sadra were insistent on the apolitical nature of his philosophy and this influenced the reading of scholars such as Henry Corbin and Seyyed Hossein Nasr that paid little attention to the political aspects of Sadra’s thought. Lastly, the choice for comparison between Sadra and Fanon on the question of Being, oppression and justice is philosophically interesting. The comparability of Sadra’s view on Being and Fanon’s phenomenology opens new perspectives for a dialogue between metaphysics and phenomenology. Moreover, it reintroduces a metaphysical view of politics which has the potential to be fused with decolonial theory and be relevant to contemporary politics. Although Sadra’s philosophy has been used in certain political discourses especially during the Islamic revolution in Iran, in this thesis I aim to provide a reading from a different angle that addresses (neo)coloniality specifically.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Revolutionary Sages: A Decolonial Reading of the Political Philosophy of Mulla Sadra through the Phenomenology of Frantz Fanon