The Rationality of Desires and Beliefs in Moral Action

Document Type : Scholary

Author

Department of Education, Faculty of Theology, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran

10.22059/jcis.2025.384802.1398

Abstract

Ethical action and rational action are considered by moral philosophers to be important factors in human Eudaimonia and perfection. Desire and belief refer to the two areas of human tendency and perception, which are considered as the foundations of human action. Before a person undertakes an action, there may be a conflict between desires and beliefs (sometimes in conflict with values), and the process of realizing the action, especially moral and rational actions, may encounter challenges. This issue refers to an important debate (Internalism and Externalism) among moral philosophers. In the present research, the viewpoints of two contemporary moral philosophers in Islam and the West (Āyatollāh Meṣbāḥ Yazdī and Michael Smith) has been explored in solving this problem using an analytical and comparative method. Finally, it is found that both of them adhere to Externalism and acknowledge the motivational relationship between desire and belief in action. However, they propose different solutions to resolve the conflict. Smith considers rationality to be effective; however, Meṣbāḥ Yazdī regards rationality as a secondary factor and adopts a different approach.

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References

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Classical and Contemporary Islamic Studies
Volume 7, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 159-172

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