Abstract
The present study investigates the existential boundaries between the artificial teacher and the wise teacher, offering a critique of reductionism in technological education. Employing a descriptive-analytical and deductive methodology grounded in Mulla Sadra’s Transcendent Philosophy, this study examines the possibility or impossibility of machines fulfilling an educational role. The findings indicate that despite its efficiency in information processing and behavioral simulation, artificial intelligence remains ontologically situated at the level of inanimate matter due to its lack of a rational soul and knowledge by presence, rendering it incapable of comprehending semantic meaning. Since upbringing within Transcendent Philosophy is defined as the existential intensification of the learner, replacing the human teacher with an artificial agent is philosophically impossible because machines lack spiritual and moral perfections. Furthermore, based on the philosophical maxim "one who lacks a thing cannot bestow it", the artificial teacher—being inherently void of spiritual life, wisdom, and moral virtue—is unable to impart these qualities to the learner and cannot serve as an agent of the student's spiritual self-actualization. Ultimately, the study concludes that AI should function solely as a cognitive support tool, while the status of existential guidance and moral upbringing must remain the exclusive prerogative of the human teacher.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Transcendent Philosophy, Gradation of Being, Wise Teacher, Substantial Motion, Technological Education.

Introduction
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence and the emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) have brought profound transformations to educational ecosystems. Amidst these developments, a form of techno-optimism has emerged, asserting that intelligent artificial teachers can replace human educators or reduce their role to that of mere data transmitters. This reductionist perspective equates the human mind with a computational device and reduces the complex, multi-dimensional process of upbringing to mere information exchange. Conversely, Islamic philosophy—specifically Mulla Sadra’s Transcendent Philosophy—views upbringing not as the mere horizontal transmission of concepts, but as a vertical, existential movement toward perfection. The central problem of this study is to elucidate the ontological gap between the artificial teacher and the wise teacher to determine whether a computational system devoid of life and consciousness can facilitate the spiritual and moral self-actualization of the student. To address this issue, the study seeks to answer three pivotal questions:
What are the existential boundaries between the artificial teacher and the wise teacher based on the principle of the gradation of being?
How does reducing the teacher’s role to an algorithmic function conflict with the Sadrian conception of upbringing as substantial motion?
Why is the artificial teacher, despite its epistemological efficiency, ontologically incapable of fulfilling the role of an educator?
Materials and Methods
This study was conducted using a qualitative approach, employing descriptive-analytical and deductive methods. To analyze concepts and draw logical conclusions, a conceptual analysis framework was utilized to examine the ontological status of the teacher. Primary data sources consist of foundational texts of Transcendent Philosophy by Mulla Sadra, such as Al-Hikmah al-Muta'aliyah fi al-Asfar al-Aqliyyah al-Arba'ah (particularly volumes concerning general existence, the soul, and resurrection), supplemented by secondary Neo-Sadrian commentaries, including the works of Allameh Tabataba'i and Ayatollah Javadi Amoli. To characterize the artificial teacher, contemporary literature in the philosophy of technology and critiques of artificial intelligence (specifically the theories of Hubert Dreyfus, John Searle, and Don Ihde) were consulted. The data analysis was performed in three progressive stages: first, deconstructing the concepts of the artificial teacher and the wise teacher into their essential and accidental properties (dhatiyyat and aradiyyat); second, applying the principle of the gradation of being (tashkik al-wujud) as the core analytical lens; and finally, deriving logical inferences based on the philosophical maxim "one who lacks a thing cannot bestow it."
Discussion and Result
The findings of this study are categorized into three main themes:
Existential Reduction (The Hierarchy of Being): Based on the principle of the gradation of being, the ontological level of a machine is fundamentally distinct from that of a human. Humans, by virtue of possessing a rational soul, exist at the level of immateriality and spiritual life. Conversely, despite its computational complexity, artificial intelligence lacks the essence of a soul and remains confined to the domain of inanimate matter. An analysis of Sadra's six types of agency reveals that the agency of a machine is ultimately natural or constrained, whereas true upbringing requires superior modes of human agency, such as intentional agency and providential agency.
Violation of the Maxim "One Who Lacks a Thing Cannot Bestow It": The primary objective of moral and spiritual upbringing is to bestow virtue and wisdom upon the learner. According to this philosophical maxim, an artificial intelligence that is inherently void of spiritual life, free will, and knowledge by presence cannot impart these perfecting qualities to the student, nor can it serve as the catalyst for their transcendent progression.
Educational Reductionism: Replacing the human teacher with an artificial agent reduces the multi-dimensional process of upbringing to mere technical skill training and data transmission. This poses a fundamental challenge to genuine learning, which inherently requires the presence of an exemplary mentor.
Conclusion

The analyses presented in this study indicate that attempts to replace human teachers with artificial intelligence rest on a category mistake and represent a philosophically impossible premise. While AI can simulate instructional behaviors—such as presenting concepts, conducting assessments, and tailoring adaptive learning paths—it is incapable of actualizing the essence of upbringing, which involves spiritual influence, moral modeling, and existential guidance. Neglecting this fundamental distinction between simulation and reality threatens to steer the educational ecosystem toward a cold and spiritless determinism. Consequently, this study recommends that educational policies clearly delineate the functional boundaries between machine and human. AI should be utilized solely as a supportive tool to facilitate basic cognitive functions and improve instructional efficiency, whereas the authority of existential and moral guidance, along with socio-emotional development, must remain the exclusive responsibility of human educators.