Reconstructing the Concept of Disease in Transcendent Philosophy: From the Substantial Motion of the Soul–Body to a Critique of Biomedical Reductionism

The concept of disease is one of the fundamental issues in the philosophy of medicine, situated at the intersection of biomedical explanations and human-centered approaches. The biomedical model primarily regards disease as a disorder in the structure and function of the body; however, it faces limitations in explaining the experiential and existential dimensions of illness. This study aims to reconstruct the concept of disease within the framework of Mulla Sadra’s Transcendent Philosophy (al-Hikmah al-Muta‘aliyah) by examining the explanatory potential of the principles of the substantial motion of the soul, the unity of the soul and body, and the ontological levels of the human being. The study employs conceptual analysis and theoretical reconstruction. First, contemporary approaches in the philosophy of medicine to the concept of disease and the limitations of biomedical reductionism are examined; subsequently, Sadrian philosophical foundations are analyzed and a model for explaining disease is proposed. The analysis and reconstruction of the concepts demonstrate that, within the Sadrian framework, disease is neither merely a biological disorder nor a moral deficiency; rather, it is understood as a multilayered disruption in the harmony among the biological, psychological, and existential dimensions of the human being. By emphasizing the unity of the soul and body, this perspective offers a more comprehensive understanding of disease while remaining complementary to empirical medicine. The Sadrian model of disease, through the concept of “disruption in the existential integrity of the soul–body,” can elucidate the limitations of biomedical reductionism and provide a philosophical framework for a more comprehensive and human-centered understanding of disease. This model also facilitates dialogue between Islamic philosophy and contemporary philosophy of medicine.