Analytical comparison of the attitude of Shahid Motahari and Immanuel Kant Regarding the concept of right and duty

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Professor of Payam E Noor University

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the comparative approach of the two Western and Eastern thinkers on the concept of right and obligation. The famous German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the Age of Enlightenment and contemporary Iranian philosopher Morteza Motahhari form the analytical-comparative method of this study. The present article shows that the position of both thinkers in their revolutionary contexts, the Enlightenment in 18th-century Europe and the Islamic Revolution of 57, reflected the most important issues and concepts related to right and obligation.

Right and duty are two forces that are defined in terms of action and reaction in individuals. Although Kant tries to define the question of task by expanding the concept of rationality and constructing the structure of right based on reason and from its point of view, this approach, in Motahhari's thinking, becomes more complete in mediating the connection with theological teachings. Utilizing both the power of reason and religious doctrine helps to make Islamic philosophy more applicable to Kantian formalism. However, Kant's achievements in defining freedom and its relation to the absolute are important in the context of which many Western and Eastern thinkers have been influenced, and Motahhari is no exception.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 02 February 2024
  • Revise Date: 25 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 28 August 2024

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