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Feasibility of Innate Moral Knowledge
from a Textual Approach
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Majid Abolqasemzade *    |
| Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Ethics, Islamic Maaref University, Qom, Iran |
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Abstract: (149 Views) |
| One of the central issues in general epistemology-and, consequently, in specific fields such as moral epistemology-is the means of acquiring knowledge. Accordingly, the present article, employing a descriptive–analytical method and adopting a textual (naqli) approach, seeks to answer the following questions: Is conscience or innate disposition (fiṭrah) considered one of the sources for acquiring knowledge of moral judgments? In other words, can the human soul directly or indirectly perceive the goodness and badness of certain actions? What type of knowledge is inner perception or intuitive moral knowledge, and what degree of epistemic validity does it possess? The findings indicate that certain Qurʾanic verses and narrations can be interpreted as affirming intuitive insight and inner knowledge of the goodness and badness of some traits and actions. Although, based on some of these texts, awareness is acquired indirectly by the soul and thus constitutes acquired (ḥuṣūlī) knowledge, other texts suggest that the human soul directly and immediately apprehends the goodness and evil of certain matters, possessing intuitive and presentational (ḥuḍūrī) knowledge. Due to its unity with the known object or reality, such knowledge enjoys the highest degree of epistemic credibility. |
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| Keywords: Moral epistemology, moral conscience, presentational knowledge of conscience, innate moral knowledge, Qurʾanic verses on moral conscience, narrations on moral conscience. |
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Full-Text [PDF 515 kb]
(49 Downloads)
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Type of Study: theoretic |
Subject:
ethics
Received: 2024/08/22 | Accepted: 2025/03/4 | Published: 2025/03/30
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