Intellectual and Moral Virtues of Transcendental Human Being in View of Imam Khomeini

Abstract

Intellectual and moral virtues are among the most important issues in contemporary anthropology. They play a key role in characterizing transcendental human being and his spiritual perfection. As a meritorious and pragmatic philosopher, Imam Khomeini recounts diversified characteristics for transcendental human being, many of which are collectable under intellectual and moral virtues. The four pillars of virtues, its intellectual and moral branches, their indefiniteness and ways for acquiring them, role of moderation in virtues and the status of virtue in human communities are among themes of interest for Imam Khomeini. Like Mulla Sadra, Imam Khomeini places science atop intellectual virtues as he places justice at the top of the moral virtues. Resorting to document analysis in its methodology, this paper intends to clarify Imam Khomeini’s exclusive approach in using the pivotal concept of fitrat (innate disposition) in defining virtues that was generalized into prioritizing practical science over theoretical science throughout his own school of thought as an innovation exclusive to Imam Khomeini. His double emphasis on moral virtues versus intellectual virtues has augmented his attention to the formation of ideological utopia in line with virtuous life of human archetype. The supremacy of his fitrat-oriented and pragmatic approach generalized virtues from individual domain to political and social arenas. To him, purification of the soul is a key factor for virtuousness and darkness of mind and ignorance are obstacles to real virtues and proximity to God. In Imam Khomeini’s view, virtuousness of man is so colorful that one can term his method of anthropology as virtuous anthropology.

Keywords

• transcendental human being
• wisdom
• justice
• moral virtue
• intellectual virtue