Examination of the Political and Social Thought of Mahmud Taleqani and Morteza Motahhari

Abstract

Mahmud Taleqani and Morteza Motahhari made significant efforts toward the realization of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of a religious and popular government, and during the Pahlavi era they endured repeated imprisonment and severe torture at the hands of the ruling regime. Examining the political and social thought of these two Islamic thinkers, as well as the position of their ideas and practices, is of considerable importance because introducing their intellectual profiles as contemporary thinkers and freedom-seeking elites holds substantial scholarly value. In Taleqani’s political thought, religion is inseparable from politics; however, the establishment of despotism in the name of religion is likewise unacceptable. Motahhari, similarly, emphasized the reciprocal relationship between religion and politics in his political and social thought, viewing the two as fundamentally intertwined, and he placed strong emphasis on the role of the people in establishing and maintaining any political system. In line with conducting this research—written using a descriptive-analytical method—we seek to examine the political and social thought of Mahmud Taleqani and Morteza Motahhari.