A Critique of the Foundations of Nihilism from the Perspective of Professor Motahari

Leading to a major spiritual crisis in human’s life, Nihilism is a belief that has rendered all values as worthless. Nihilism is based on some principles that are philosophically invalid. This paper, based on professor Motahari’s thoughts, seeks to reject the foundaons of nihilism. The most important foundaons of nihilism that lead to an aimless and meaningless life are: atheism, the issue of death, the issue of creaon, belief in determinism, pain and suffering, the issue of me, reliance on intellect alone, defeats and failures, and the issue of evil and self-alienaon. From the perspecve of professor Motahari, man’s creaon is purposeful; the supreme goal of man’s creaon is to achieve the posion of servitude in the light of knowledge. Man can prevent self- alienaon through remembrance of God. We believe that knowledge is an aribute of God, therefore, we consider defeats and failures posively on the basis of divine expediency and will, and regard them as a means of achieving supreme or highest good. Hence, divine man sees no evil; everything he sees is beauful, because everything is dominated by God's will and control. He believes that pain and suffering are the cause of awareness, awakening, self-purificaon and morality .he regards death as a turning point in human’s intensifying movement and a gateway to a larger world. God created human being as a free-willed creature so he is free to choose the way of his life; if human being’s acons were predetermined by God, his obligaons in this world and his reward or retribuon in the Hereaer would be completely invalid. Note taking, extracng and analyzing reviews of professor Motahhari's works was the method used in this paper.