Ma`rifat Falsafi

This study aimed to explain and apply the principles of educational justice in Iran’s educational system based on the perspectives of John Rawls and Ayatollah Misbah Yazdi. Using a qualitative approach and comparative content analysis, the findings revealed fundamental differences between the two views at ontological, anthropological, and axiological levels. Rawls, grounded in contractualism and methodological individualism, defines justice as fairness and a procedural concept. In contrast, Misbah Yazdi, drawing on transcendent theosophy, views justice as a reflection of divine order and teleologically oriented. Anthropologically, Rawls emphasizes individual autonomy and natural rights, while Misbah considers humans as essentially social beings with divine nature. Nevertheless, at the practical level, both thinkers endorse the “difference principle within equality” and the necessity of compensating inequalities. The conclusion is that Iran’s educational justice system requires an indigenous theory that, while benefiting from Islamic foundations (particularly Misbah’s perspective), incorporates the structural implications of Rawlsian justice in distributing opportunities and supporting the disadvantaged.