From Greek Moral Philosophy to Today’s Ethical Challenges

Zahra Fayzii from the Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology News Desk of the University of Tehran:

Dr. Behrouz Mohammadi-Monfared, Associate Professor in the Department of Islamic Ethics at the University of Tehran and a distinguished researcher at the University of Tehran Research Festival, examined various dimensions of ethics and moral philosophy, emphasizing the need for an interdisciplinary approach and scholarly dialogue to address contemporary challenges.

Referring to the history of moral philosophy in the Greek and Western traditions, he described ethics as a field concerned with understanding and examining human behavior, virtues, and vices. According to him, moral philosophy approaches ethics from a second-order perspective; rather than merely judging whether behaviors are right or wrong, it raises fundamental questions in normative ethics and metaethics, including questions about the meaning and ontology of moral properties and how moral propositions can be known. One such question is whether concepts such as “good” and “bad” have an independent reality or are products of the human mind and social constructs.

Mohammadi-Monfared, referring to his research in Western moral philosophy and his works, including The Justification of Moral Belief and Moral Realism, said that in the continuation of his research, he seeks to examine contemporary issues in moral philosophy by drawing on the intellectual resources of the Islamic tradition, including Islamic philosophy and Usul al-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence).

The researcher also emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of many ethical issues, noting that a thorough examination of these questions requires attention to the relationship between moral philosophy and fields such as philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, epistemology, and moral psychology.

He further distinguished between ethics and law, emphasizing that the legality of an action does not necessarily mean that it is morally right, just as an ethical action does not necessarily fall within the framework of law.

Responding to a question about hijab, Mohammadi-Monfared emphasized the importance of raising awareness, fostering persuasion, and creating the conditions for young people to make informed choices.

The University of Tehran professor concluded by emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary discussions involving philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, legal scholars, and political scientists. In his view, challenging issues facing society, including the relationship between ethics and religion, should be examined within the university environment through scholarly and critical dialogue, rather than being confined to public and virtual spaces.

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