The Role of Intellect in Identifying Moral Values according to Muslim Thinkers

Moral epistemology is one of the most important subjects of meta-ethics. The idea of the role of intellect in identifying moral values is of special important. This issue which has a long history led Muslim thinkers to follow different schools and sects. Twelve Shiʻa and Mutazila support the idea that intellect is able to identify moral values, while Asharites do not consider intellect as means of moral knowledge and believe that Islamic law is the only means of realizing morality. Each of these two groups provides proofs to support its own view and to refute the view of the other side. The present paper sheds light on the most important proofs provided by the defenders of the ability of intellect to identify moral values and concludes that though some of the proofs offered by the proponents of this view come under criticisms they give some convincing and irrefutable evidence.