نشریه معرفت اخلاقی
پیاپی 2 (بهار 1389)

The present article investigates the anthropological bases of secular ethics, and reviews them. Humanism, individualism, liberalism, and the theory of natural evolution are among the anthropological bases of secular ethics. In the discussion of humanism, the issues of right and obligation and the relationship between them are dealt with here, and the criticisms to negation of human obligation are mentioned from viewpoint of religious ethics.

Among the moral theories presented by western thinkers, Jerry Bentham's theory of "utilitarianism" is one of the theories consistent with human's natural tendencies and propensities. It seems that the author of this theory has tried to make his theory consistent with human's tendencies; however, one of the problems of this theory is that it is merely based on materialistic view, whose author has encapsulated everything in the framework of this material world. Later thinkers have criticized Bentham's theory from various aspects. The writer of the present article, however, has adopted another approach to this theory, attempting to supplement and modify Bentham's seven standards based on moral themes of the Quran and Islamic traditions to encourage human beings to believe in God and Resurrection, and observe moral principles. In the present article, the writer has tried, on the one hand, to show the strength and perfection of Islamic knowledge, and on the other hand, to display the deficiencies of Bentham's theory because of his materialistic view and ignoring the other world and human's eternal life in the hereafter.

It would be meaningless to speak of ethics or ethics system without investigating and scrutinizing the theoretical infrastructures and bases of ethics. This, along with the role played by considerations of philosophy of ethics in institutionalizing morality in scientific and cultural body of the society and even among all its members, makes it necessary to have a serious and effective look at the discipline of ethics. The present article aims at granting attractiveness to study and research on various topics of philosophy of ethics. The first mechanism suggested by researchers on ethics in our country for achieving this goal was to pay attention to educative consequences of the theories current in the field of philosophy of ethics. This mechanism has not been successful so far due to problems mentioned in the article. Processing and enriching the discussions of philosophy of ethics with discussions of practical ethics is a unique (an innovative) suggestion whose merits have been mentioned and whose drawbacks have been dealt with here. In short, we have stressed that studies of practical ethics can play an effective role in granting attractiveness to philosophical studies about morality.

Moral teachings always constitute a great part of the religious and celestial books. A special attention to moral self-edification and human high values in those texts demonstrates the importance and high status of morality in religions. Accordingly, the philosophers have always guided human beings towards self-edification before learning other sciences. On the other hand, however, this enterprise and enjoying its results and, in other words, acquiring felicity and achieving it – which is the true subject of ethics – are dependent on the "possibility of changing human's temperament". In other words, if human beings are not able to change their temperament, or if human's temperament is immutable due to some reasons, moral teachings and drawing attention to them, and in fact the ethics, will be useless.Accordingly, most Muslim philosophers, who have dealt with moral discussions as well, having stated the priority of ethics over other sciences as well as its benefits, have put forward the possibility of changing one's temperament. Among them, Ghazali and Jalal al-Din Dawani have dealt with this issue by mentioning transmitted and rational reasons and discussing various views and doubts on it.Having explained the views of these two philosophers on the possibility of changing one's temperament, the present article will state and discuss the reasons and evidences put forward by each of them.

The institute of family and factors effective in educating and solidifying it are among the discussions seriously paid attention to in religious teachings. There are numerous moral, doctrinal and ritual injunctions in religious texts, commitment to which would result in educating, fortifying and solidity of family. In the present paper, the writer has tried to investigate and analyze the abovementioned teachings, aiming at accessing these teachings. Thus, we will have a pief look at the status of acts of devotion and articles of faith in family, and then we will enumerate representations of doctrinal and ritual acts, explaining the role of each. The writer has used documentary method in his investigation, explaining the subject with a reference to original Islamic sources.

Moral education is the process of preparing the ground and applying methods for flowering, reinforcing and engendering moral attributes and behaviors as well as improving or removing the unmoral behaviors and manners in human being. No doubt, purification and self-edification have a great role in individual and social as well as worldly and otherworldly felicity. Accordingly, what has been approved and emphasized in this study is an investigation of the role of moral education in the holy Prophet's view for performing individual and social duties. To achieve this important goal, we have mentioned some special goals: investigation and analysis of the principles of individual and social duties; and investigation and analysis of the role of moral education in realizing individual and social duties in the holy Prophet's view.The present article has used documentary method and lipary resources. The result obtained here is as follows: the moral education in the Prophet's view for realizing individual and social duties guides the Islamic society towards perfection and immunity against other hardships, obstacles and abnormalities. What derives human being to this perfection is his education, which is in line with realization of moral virtues and avoiding moral vices so that it may guide human beings towards divine perfection and felicity.

Undoubtedly, peace and quiet is one of the most essential standards of the healthy life for realization of which we must make use of all factors. Among these, the issue at hand is to investigate the role of chastity and modesty in emergence and survival of peace and quiet in conjugal life. Our goal in the present study is to introduce various types of chastity and modesty with a view of their consequences and effects, and show that the parameter of chastity and modesty are among the most effective factors for achieving peace and quiet in conjugal life. We are to state some information on various types of chastity, especially on chastity in sexual relations so that we may better clarify its effect on quiet in life. The method we used in this study is the method of explanation and analysis based on religious texts, using a large number of traditions. Altogether, the findings show that chastity and modesty are the factors playing great roles in creating and consolidating peace and quiet, engendering consequences in conjugal life that let human's goal realize in life much better. To realize this feature, however, we must make use of some skills that are necessary for everybody.