Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education, Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran
2
Assistant Professor in Educational Management and Planning, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study aims to explain the philosophical foundations of evil from Allameh Tabataba’i's point of view and to derive its educational implications in moral education. The research method is descriptive-analytical and inferential. Based on Allameh Tabataba’i’s fundamental belief in God as the fundamental good of existence and the non-existence of evils, the findings indicate that the emergence and manifestation of evils are necessary for the evolution of the world and humanity. The results show that in the approach of confronting evils as an educational opportunity, in addition to avoiding and escaping from evil, the opportunity can be used constructively with a view to the development and perfection of the learner. In this regard, the first reaction after the occurrence of evil is patience. The subsequent stages include reasoning, persistence in good deeds, and avoidance of unrighteous deeds, which together create suitable conditions for a reasonable confrontation with evils.
Introduction and Objective: Evil, meaning badness and ugliness (Motahhari, 2009, pp. 150-160), has been introduced with a dual function. In one aspect, evil is not severely bad but rather necessary, as good without it cannot be recognized and perceived (Breyer, 2013, p. 192). In another aspect, evil is inherently bad and its existence in the world is not necessary (Pinnock, 2004, p. 132), thus it must be combated. Accepting the dual function of evil, the fundamental issue here is that, from an educational perspective, in most educational systems, evil has generally been viewed as inherently undesirable, and an avoidance approach has prevailed in confronting it. Although there are many recommendations and advice on avoiding evils, there has not been a perspective on confronting evils as an educational opportunity (turning a threat into an opportunity). To address this issue, this study aims to explain the philosophical foundations of evil from Allameh Tabataba’i's viewpoint and to derive its educational implications in moral education.
Method: The approach of this study is qualitative, and the research method is descriptive-inferential. To explain the philosophical foundations of evil, a descriptive method is used, and to extract educational implications, an inferential method in the philosophy of education is employed. In this research approach, a philosophical school along with its broad views on ontology, epistemology, and axiology is taken as the basis, and educational theories and guidelines are extracted and inferred based on them (Kiani & Sadeqzadeh, 2011).
Findings: To answer the questions of this study, we first derived the philosophical foundations of evil from Allameh Tabataba’i’s views and then inferred the educational implications, including principles and methods in the field of moral education. A summary of these foundations, principles, and methods is presented in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Philosophical Foundations, Educational Principles, and Methods
Philosophical Foundations
Educational Principles
Educational Methods
Evil is non-existent.
knowing God as the source of all the good.
using rational arguments to know God as the fundamental good of existence, seeking refuge in God, praying, and reciting the Quran
Evils are specific to the material world. The expansion and evolution of the world depend on change and movement.
. changing situations and conditions through the will of society and individuals
, leaving places of sin (migration, emigration, etc.).
The system of existence, despite the presence of evils, is the best possible system.
principle of aesthetic argument.
using observation to perceive order and harmony in the world, nurturing spiritual beauties.
Natural and moral evils result from human misuse of free will and ignorance.
Cultivating rationality.
encouraging thought and reflection, consulting with wise individuals.
Natural evils are a means of testing for humans.
Principle of the need for flourishing, guidance, and care of good potentials.
Education and discipline.
Evils are the external consequences of actions and the punishment for sins.
Necessity of punishment and retribution (principle of compensation).
Punishment and admonition through submission and fairness, preaching and reminding, establishing laws and regulations for punishment, reminding of the Day of Judgment and the way actions are accounted for, storytelling, and learning from examples.
Natural evils are an inevitable stage of human development and necessary for good and moral virtues.
cultivating moral virtues.
Self-purification: performing good deeds, piety, repentance and seeking forgiveness, prayer, almsgiving (zakat), charity, patience, resistance and steadfastness, forgiveness.
Evils arise from human ignorance and are relative and subjective.
acquiring knowledge and awareness.
Learning: empirical and inductive sciences including research, investigation, prediction and foresight, careful observation, and hypothesis formation in confronting natural evils.
Discussion and Summary: From Allameh Tabataba’i's view, both natural and moral evils have various instances influenced by different factors. Therefore, they are relative and subjective in terms of time, place, form, and conditions, and no single solution can be recommended for them. Thus, confronting each type of evil, depending on its nature and causes, can be an educational opportunity and requires different educational actions. The first reaction after the occurrence of evil is patience, followed by reasoning. Allameh Tabataba’i considers the realization of most moral virtues dependent on the attribute of patience. Although patience does not encompass all virtuous morals, if it is found in someone, other virtues will also be found in him. However, examining Allameh Tabataba’i’s thoughts reveals that, in addition to patience, reasoning and reflection can comprehensively cover other methods for educational confrontation alongside combating evil.
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