Formulation of “Principle of Compatibility with innate nature” in Imam Khomeini’s Ethical Thought

Abstract

Imam Khomeini’s ethical theory is an innate nature -centered thought based on which ethics, i.e. ethical insights and tendencies become instances of rules and requisites for an innate desire to love good and perfection and to manifest a hatred of evil and imperfection. Due to their innate disposition, they are self-evidence, indisputability and immutability. Therefore, in innate natural theory of ethics, all general principles and specific ethical rules are clarified and justified based on innate nature. Hence, the fundamental and ultimate principle in this theory is the principle of compatibility with innate nature that is the prerequisite for ethical account of the ethical rules. However, the use of this principle primarily requires presentation of its clear formulation with conceptual restrictions and requisites to be considered as a basis for deducing ethical rules as general criterion of ethics. In this paper, we have tried to provide a formulation of this principle with conceptual restrictions of this principle through conceptual analysis method. Based on this analysis, it is shown how acting upon a duty we believe in as an ethical act is one of the requisites of compatibility with innate nature. Also, as a general rule of ethics, this principle obliges us to act upon what we believe to be a public ethical duty.

Keywords

• innate natural theory of ethics
• principle of compatibility with innate natural
• acting upon ethical duty
• general rule of ethics
• imam khomeini