Ma`rifat Falsafi

There are two major theories, in the Islamic philosophy, regarding the reality of the soul and its origination. On the one hand, the Peripatetics believe in its incorporeal origination and survival, while the Sadraians consider it as being corporeal in its origination, and incorporeal in its survival. Normally, people think of Farabi, as a Peripatetic, to belong in the first camp, but it is not true. The authors of is article tries to show that Farabi considers human being as one of the bodies, comprised of matter and form. It remains corporeal before reaching the state of intellect. Only those who can comprehend rational concepts and intelligibles, attain immateriality and posses incorporeal souls. They resemble immortal intellects. Other souls, however, will perish with the corruption of their bodies and annihilate like other animals (and therefore, have no heaven or hell).