From Liberal Autonomy to Islamic Freedom: Implications for Political Education in Iran

Document Type : Research Article (Political Thought)

Authors
Hamid Mahjour 1
Akbar Salehi 2
Susan Keshavarz 2
Sayyed Mohammadreza Tabatabaei 3
1 PhD Student, in Philosophy of Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy of Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
3 Associate Professor of Political Science, Imam Sadiq University(A.S.), Tehran, Iran
10.30497/ipt.2026.251007.1087
Abstract
The study critiques individualistic interpretations of autonomy in liberal thought and reconstructs freedom from an Islamic perspective to derive implications for political education in Iranian Islamic society. Using conceptual analysis and a comparative-critical approach based on Bereday’s model, it examines the anthropological, epistemological, and axiological foundations of liberal autonomy and Islamic freedom. Findings show that liberal autonomy, grounded in individualism, self-foundation, and personal choice, creates challenges for social bonds, moral authority, and religious life. In contrast, Islamic thought defines freedom as liberation from servitude to anything other than God and a path toward perfection, termed “Rabbani Freedom.” The study develops this concept across cognitive, moral-spiritual, and political-social dimensions and proposes implications including insight, responsibility, and council-based participation for political education.
Keywords
Autonomy
Islamic freedom
Rabbani Freedom
political education
Subjects

  • Receive Date 08 August 2026
  • Accept Date 15 August 2026