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This paper - in order to make a comparative study between Sadra’s theory and a new western theory about soul’s occurrence - first focuses on studying and explaining a new theory in philosophy of mind; called “Emergentism” by contemporary philosophers. The author distinguishes between two version of Emergentism: strong and weak, and describes two challenges against the strong version which have adduced by physicalists. He, then, makes a brief review of Sadra’s theory about soul’s occurrence and its ranks, and thus considers the similarities and differences between Sadra’s view and strong emergentism. This paper, by referring to the common aspects of these two theories, believes that most challenges which have made against strong emergentism are reformable versus Sadra’s theory. He, finally, implicates some explications of Sadraian philosophers about mind – body connection, and shows their inefficiency to meet the objections and ambiguities of physicalist philosophers. He believes that Sadra’s philosophy of mind needs further completion to satisfy this requirement. The main contribution of this paper is explaining the intersections and dissociations of these two theory, and some deficiencies and ambiguities of Sadra’s view before physicalism.

Mulla Sadra’s theory regarding “soul” consists in the bodily origination and spiritual surviving, led to fundamental changings in debates on the soul. According to that, the root of the soul origination is mater, which transforms to immaterial being through substantial movement. The problem of the origination of sprits before origination of bodies, which is corresponding to the appearance of certain verses, is a huge challenge confronting this theory. Mulla sadra’s view deals with this challenge by interpreting some verses and hadiths which believe in the pre-existence of souls before the bodies, as well as by rational reasons which deny the priority of sprit to the body. This paper by descriptive-analytical method attempts to present the concept of “soul” and “sprit” in the Quran and in the Hadiths, and to state that soul is an abstract entity related to the domain of commandment. Therefore, it can have existence before the creation of body. Whereas, “soul” is a representation of “sprit” in the material world. Accordingly, the controversy between the theory of bodily origination and spiritual surviving and certain hadiths and verses that claim the existence of the sprit before becoming, is solved.