Ma`rifat Falsafi

In moral philosophy, under the headings of egoism and altruism, extensive discussions have taken place regarding human motivation for performing actions. While posing this question to Muslim philosophers, including Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā), we come across egoism based on self-love (hubb-e dhāt) as the ultimate end of human actions. Nevertheless, some Neo- Sadraeians have turned to altruism with their hikmah-based approach; among them, Shahid Morteza Motahhari, by separating egoistic and altruistic actions and grounding both categories of actions in the existential structure of the human being, has opened a window for the introduction of altruism into Islamic philosophy. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this research seeks to examine the question of what explanation Shahid Motahhari has proposed for the existence of altruistic actions devoid of any material or spiritual intention for the agent. To investigate this question, it is necessary to examine his critical approach toward Avicenna’s view, which aligns with the prevailing view within the sphere of Islamic philosophy, as well as Shahid Motahhari’s specific view, which is formed on the basis of love-driven actions versus intellectual actions, and to examine his ontological foundation in putting forward this perspective.