Ma`rifat Falsafi

In his approach to ethics, Imam Khomeini explains it as a state within the human soul that motivates individuals toward action and deeds. He also introduces the discipline of ethics as a tool for the cultivation of the heart and the recognition of virtues and vices. This study seeks to examine and explain the foundations of Imam Khomeini’s moral realism through a descriptive–analytical method. Imam Khomeini’s moral realism can be explained through several components: belief in the embodiment of deeds, the ontological reality of moral concepts, the reality of the goal of ethics, the intrinsic nature of moral predicates, as well as the intrinsic evilness of lying and the innate-nature (fitrah-based) of morality. Nevertheless, there are certain ambiguities within his theory. For instance, the lack of a clear distinction between the discipline of ethics and moral cultivation may lead to misunderstandings concerning the non-realistic nature of his theory. Furthermore, the need to provide rational arguments for the embodiment of deeds could introduce further ambiguities into his theory. On the other hand, the issues related to the intrinsic evil of lying and how to determine it in specific cases also require further clarification. It is thus essential that these ambiguities be examined and analyzed in order to provide a more comprehensive account of Imam Khomeini’s moral realism.