Falsafa e Ikhlaq | فلسفہ اخلاق

Nature of the Book

• Philosophy of Ethics is the English translation of Falsafah-i Akhlāq by Ayatollah Murtaza Mutahhari. 

• The original Persian version is a collection of 13 public lectures. 

• These lectures were given at various times: 10 of them during the month of Muharram (1973–74) at the Ark Mosque in Tehran, and the rest around the late years of his life (including one from 1960–61).

Main Themes
Mutahhari explores ethics (morality) from an Islamic-philosophical perspective, covering both timeless moral questions and issues of his contemporary era. Some of the major topics are:

• What is ethics? — He investigates the essence (“what-ness”) of ethics: what makes an action moral vs. just natural. 

• Natural action vs. moral action — Differentiating between actions driven by natural instincts/habits and those guided by moral reasoning. 

• Emotionalism — The role of emotions in ethics; he compares his view with other philosophers.

• Conscience theory — How conscience works, and its place in moral decision-making. Theory of beauty & worship — He links ethics with spiritual notions like beauty and worship. 

• Islamic ethics and morality — He develops a moral framework rooted in Islamic teachings and traditions. 

• Self and non-self — A philosophical exploration of the “self,” its nature, and relation to something beyond itself. 

• Knowledge of the self — Understanding the self deeply as a key to moral action and spiritual growth.

• Spiritual and moral crises of the modern age — He reflects on problems that individuals and societies face in his time, many of which are still very relevant: spiritual emptiness, moral confusion, and existential anxiety. 

• Criterion for moral action — What should be the standard or basis for deciding whether an action is morally right. 

• Comparative ethics — He also critiques and compares moral systems: e.g., Marxist morality, Russell’s ethics, and other Western philosophies. 

• Question of the ‘self’ — He examines debates around self-identity in ethics, especially how different views understand “self” and its moral implications. 

Philosophical Approach

• Mutahhari draws on Islamic sources — the Qur’an, teachings of the Imams, and classical Islamic philosophy — but also engages heavily with Western philosophy (e.g., Plato, Kant, Russell, Marx, Nietzsche).

• His style is somewhat didactic: because these were lectures, the writing is not overly technical but meant to be accessible. 

• He connects ontology (being) with ethics: for him, understanding the nature of reality (self, existence) is important in order to build a solid moral framework. 

• His epistemology: he believes intellect and consciousness are key to understanding self and moral truths; he traces a spiritual journey from “unconscious faith” to “self-conscious faith,” which correlates with moral maturity. 

• He argues that prophets (in Islam) play a fundamental role in guiding human beings through this journey: achieving true self-awareness and ethical life is tied to worship and consciousness of God.

Significance and Impact

• This work is considered one of the central references on Islamic ethics, especially within Shi’a intellectual circles. 

• It bridges traditional Islamic moral thought with modern philosophical challenges, making it very relevant for contemporary Muslims who are grappling with modernity.

• The book is used in academic and religious education, especially in seminaries and Islamic universities, because it addresses both theoretical and practical aspects of ethics.

Target Audience

• While rooted in Islamic philosophy, the lectures are intended for a broad audience: both scholars and general readers who want a deeper understanding of moral life from an Islamic worldview. Because of its accessible lecture-style format, it's especially good for students of Islamic thought, ethics, philosophy, and for anyone interested in how traditional moral teachings apply to modern issues.