Research Quarterly in Islamic Ethics
Year:2018 | Volume:11 | Issue:41|Papers Count:8

Presenting comprehensive moral criteria and determining the extensions for ethical values is regarded as a function of normative ethics. Meanwhile, the theories consequentialism, functionalism and virtue ethics have tried to study the issue. Each of the theories meets objections and, therefore, needs to be studied critically. And it is not possible for us to combine them in such a manner that their structures remain. Therefore, the only solution is to examine the characteristics of a valid ethical theory in order to open up a way to achieve it. The most important indicators that a proper theory must adhere to include: proper attention to ethical neutrality, reasonability, being of consideration on the nature of ethics, being qualified with correct ethical principles, integrity, adaptability and applicability. It is possible to achieve satisfactory theories of Islam based on strong principles and clear instructions. Of course, this requires the study of the issue in terms of theoretical, practical and practical aspects on the basis of Islamic teachings.

Human mental dimension consists of three aspects of epistemology, emotion and volition. Affection is one of the most important components of emotional aspect of the soul. This article explains the status of affection in the areas of the soul and studies its mechanism of influencing human function, especially in human ascending to ultimate perfection as viewed by Allameh Tabatabai. Allameh has a special concern of the effects of human needs and feelings on human epistemic realm, a concern which distinguishes his analysis of the effect of affection on the final issue of one`s function. From his point of view, affection is an existential truth and tendency to perfection found in all beings. Its full degree, however, appears in human being. Since various things are taken as objects of human affection, it take different forms as positive, negative, imaginative, and rational types; given the object of human affection to be a perfect and spiritual object, the affection would be positive. This affection as a true leader leads man to his true perfection. Harmonizing perfectional movement of other human aspects of existence, affection would lead them to its full degree of perfection. On the other hand, with the help of reason, he leads the individual to a transcendental purpose, and the master of the perfect path leads the way to the true and perfect perfection through the establishment of a connotation with him.

Ethical limitations are a particular form of moral conflict in which immoral case of action is unavoidable. In recent decades, ethical philosophers have resorted to ways in which they encountered such conflicts, some eliminating the conflict and some solving the conflict. The elimination lies in the denial of the reality of the two ways and the solution lies in accepting its reality and is based on the assumption of being measureability and the state of the sides as not being identical. In this paper, with a rational analytical approach, we review and critique the logical structure and logic of these methods. Denial of the division as being limited to two options, active and creative meeting to seek other options, reform and reconsideration in determining functions, seizing conflicting duties (compromise and retaliation), suspending assignments waiting for appropriate circumstances, partiality to one side and harmonizing functions, proposed methods for management and eliminating apparent conflicts. Establishing a systematic order of functions and moral values or classifying them, excepting, separating real function from formal ones, harmonizing two functionalism and consequetialism may be regarded as the methods for solving the conflicts.

The purpose of this study may be regarded as knowing moral leadership as described in Islamic teachings. The qualities of ethical leadership were recognized by studying commentaries of the Holy Qur'an and Nahj al-Balagha using the method of inductive content analysis. In this analysis, the field of research including the commentary of the Holy Qur'an (the commentary Rahnama) because of its emphasis on social concepts and Nahj al-Balaghah containing Imam Ali`s sermons, letters and short speech have been relied on. The extracted topics of ethical leadership in Islamic texts have been grasped with general themes in the areas of individual characteristics of moral leadership and moral characteristics of moral leadership.

Biological ethics in its current paradigm on the basis of Tom Beauchamps and James Childress` theory is based on four principles of autonomy, justice, utility and harmlessness. One critique of this theory is lack of internal consistency and divergence of its pillars, namely the four principles. According to this critique, the theory of the four foundations of biological principles is self-contradictory. This is while bioethics, as a set of behavioral norms, may not be recommended and prevalent without ever being based on theoretical foundations. Contrary to secular ethics and current theories of normative ethics, each having focused on one existential dimension of human being as ethical value norm and lack of any attention to other dimensions and, therefore, it is not possible to defend this theory against the critique. On Islamic ethics, however, the critique may not be of any effect; since Islamic ethics regards all aspects of human being. On this basis, convergence of the principles of biological ethics in particular situations may be argued for.

The subject of this paper is to examine and analyze the efficiency, or inefficiency, and the preference of functionalist theories, with an emphasis on Ross`s functionalism and Mill`s view in the field of ethical limitations. The authors have explained the standards for human deeds as being good or bad, right or wrong. The main question of the paper, performed with a descriptive-analytic method, follows as: when meeting ethical limitations, what is preferred, noting duty or its consequence? Achieving a stable and definite ethical criterion leading to the best consequence has necessitated the study. One important goal in the paper lies in explaining the failure of functionalism and conseque in deciding a standard for measuring the value of ethical deeds. One significant finding in the paper lies in the fact that regarding human intention, proximity and divine satisfaction in human deeds will cause both theories to be acceptable, in such a way that, in order to eliminate the limitation and to measure the correctness and inaccuracy of the acts, it may be regarded as the most decisive criterion.

The Prophet of Islam has viewed the purpose of be'sat as the completion of moral virtues; such exclusion disagrees with the other purposes of prophecy mentioned in the Quran. It has been intended in this paper to solve the conflict and prove the exclusion. To do so, an attempt has been made to survey Fariqain`s traditional, exegetic and ethical sources and the performed researches of the field and, in this way, with reliance on the position of the Hadith in religious teachings and proving the exclusion of the end of prophecy in the field of ethics and regarding other ends mentioned in the Quran in relation to this final and ultimate end, essential need of morality to prophecy has been explained.

This paper using descriptive-analytical method compares theological basis of religious ethics from the perspective of Morteza Mutahhari (Muslim contemporary theologian) and St Benedict (father of western Christian monasticism). Belief in God is the most essential basis for every divine religion and school ofreligious ethics. Islamic and Christian ethics are meaningless without the belief in God. Benedict's moral advices, including major moral virtues namely faith, hope and love, is based on this foundation. Religious sacred texts, which are the sources for valuing moral concepts, shall lose their authenticity, without the belief in God. Belief in God results in the belief in the presence of God at all times and His close observation. This, in turn, will bring about the belief in the Resurrection. Mutahhari, too, considers ethics without the belief in God as invalid and unjustifiable. Sticking to moral principles, which has no worldly benefits, will be reasonable only through the belief in God. He mentions that belief in the Resurrection Day shall be an incentive to adhere to moralities and a guarantee for putting them into practice. Mutahhari and Benedict have almost identical point of view on this subject.