A Comparative Study of Merleau-Ponti and Motahhari, the Martyr, on Conditioned Freedom

Merleau-Ponty, with an atheic existentialist literature, has developed his theory of conditioned freedom by giving the theory of body-subject, drawing inspiration from Heidegger's concept of life-world and considering human freedom in conflict with the existence of God. He says: of the two God and free man, only one may be chosen; since given the existence God, everything would be governed by the necessity of causation, and, therefore, there would be no place for human freedom. Motahhari, the martyr, has also viewed human freedom as being limited. Inheritance, social environment, and history are of the agents limiting human freedom. But he has supported the view by reason of human nature and the necessity of using reason in the course of human evolution. According to Mutahhari`s view, this limited freedom is not contrary to God's existence and His infinite Will and Knowledge, moreover, it should be regarded as essential ground for human belief in Him. The method of research in this study is a rational and library-based one. As viewed in the paper, the views taken by the philosophers of the study are different and followed by opposite ends.