The Negative and Positive Roles of Virtues in Acquiring Knowledge from Sadra's Perspective

Introduction: The mere existence of the soul as a potentiality has the ability to move towards higher understanding and unity with the active intellect. However, internal and external obstacles manifest through the driving forces of the soul, such as lust and anger, which prevent the soul from progressing on this path and make the activity of the cognitive faculty vulnerable. Some of these obstacles are existential, while others are non-existent. With the realization of states as existential moral virtues, knowledge is attained, and humans reach a higher understanding. The removal of these obstacles is the responsibility of these very states and moral virtues. From Sadra's viewpoint, the benefits of these states and moral virtues are not limited to their non-existent and negative aspects; he also acknowledges their existential and positive dimensions. In fact, the deepening of virtuous traits through consistent good actions plays a positive role in facilitating the acquisition of knowledge.
Findings: The evolution and perfection of the soul are tied to the acquisition of knowledge. Therefore, the obstacles to gaining knowledge are also the obstacles to human perfection. Sadra identifies barriers to the soul's progressive movement towards the active intellect and connection to scientific grace, explaining that certain causes and reasons hinder the manifestation of truths upon the soul. Immoral actions and ethics serve as internal existential factors that lead to the loss of the soul's perfection or act as barriers to its remaining veiled.
With every action performed by the soul, an effect occurs within it. If the action is tainted by lust or anger, it becomes a barrier to the possible perfection of the soul; conversely, if it is rational, it will contribute positively to the soul's deserving perfection. Thus, the soul's submission to lusts and desires deprives humans of understanding truths and knowledge, preventing them from reaching scientific grace. In this regard, sins and moral vices, which stem from the diseases of the heart, are considered among the most fundamental and significant obstacles to the soul's perfection and the attainment of divine knowledge and philosophical truths.
Discussion: Human souls have the potential to attain perfection through knowledge and action, and the connection to the realm of abstraction is possible both inherently and potentially for the human soul. If there are no obstacles, the soul continues on its path to perfection. In this context, internal obstacles manifest through the driving forces of the soul in the form of lust and anger, which hinder its movement along this path and make the cognitive faculty vulnerable. The love of wealth and status has been identified as the most significant factors leading to desires. Moral vices can sometimes entirely obstruct the emergence of knowledge or hinder its realization, while at other times, they prevent the advancement of knowledge and lead to a potential distancing from perfection.