Relationship between Two Generations of Economic Man in the Light of Essential Movement of the Soul and the Path of Future Generations

Abstract

Homo economicus has been subjected to many criticisms, especially from the findings of economic anthropologists and economic experiments that emphasize the fairness and reciprocity properties of the real human being. The present article, by using the theory of the intrinsic movement of the soul of Mulla Sadra presents a model for the orders of intensity of the soul in its upward course, which includes four orders named plant, animal, human and angelic and explains their relationship to each other. According to this model, homo economicus can be adapted to animal order and the altruistic or reciprocating man of behavioral economics can be adapted to the human order. The important implication of the model is that the generations of economic man are not exclusive to these two, and the next economic man, or homo Islamicus, which is achieved by following religion can be the new generation of Islamic social sciences.