Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Amir Rastin Toroghi ¹
• Vahide Fakhar ²

¹ Assistant professor, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Teachings, Department of Islamic Philosophy

² Assistant professor, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Teachings, Department of Islamic Teachings

Abstract

Thinking of life after death is plausible only when there can be explained a personal identity between the individual before and after death. On the other hand, because human identity in this world is accompanied by his physical aspect (or, according to materialist views, his identity is wholly physical), explaining the continuity of life after death and resurrection depends on the presence of such physical dimension, that is, it necessitates the explanation of some kind of physical resurrection. The teachings of the divine religions also emphasize such a resurrection. The present article, based on the descriptive-analytical method, reviews the most important accounts of Christian theologians explaining the personal identity of man in the afterlife and their criticisms by philosophers of religion. Based on a special reading of some principles of Transcendent philosophy and Mullā Ṣadrā’s words, it introduces and explains an innovative theory of personal identity. It seems that the theory of “preservation of personal identity through the existential intensification of the body”, in addition to being immune to the major drawbacks of other models, enjoys greater capacities and benefits.

Keywords

• Personal identity
• existential continuity
• Mullā Ṣadrā
• intensifying motion
• resurrection