Human Innate Features and their Role in Human Sciences: A Comparative Study of Ayatollah Mesbah and Abraham Maslow

In the anthropology sphere, two major approaches are pursued: “philosophical anthropology” and “empirical anthropology”. The present study aims at comparing the ideas of two contemporary anthropologists as the representatives of these two approaches in regard with human’s innate features, investigating the effects of their basic commonalities and differences. Accordingly, the views of Ayatollah Muhammad Taqi Mesbah, among Muslims philosophers, based on Islamic sources and transcendental theosophy, and the views of Abraham Harold Maslow, among humanist psychologists, based on romantic philosophy, existentialism and empiricism were considered. In the result section, the present research has found limited and apparent commonalities as well as many basic differences between these two thinkers regarding the abovementioned issues, in a way that the differences has caused them to think differently in describing humane phenomena, explaining their relations, specifying the subjects and issues of research, and choosing tools and sources of recognition. Besides, they have different judgments in ordering, specifying behavioral norms, values, policies, and advising humane behaviors and issues.