The Ashʿarite and Māturīdite Conception of the Source of Moral Values in Light of Theological Discourses
Abstract
In this study, entitled “The Ashʿarite and Māturīdite Conception of the Source of Moral Values in Light of Theological Discourses”, we analyzed the theoretical justifications underlying the views of the Ashʿarite and Māturīdite schools regarding ethics, as two of the most prominent classical theological traditions within Sunni Islam. We also referred to the Muʿtazilite school in order to compare their theological perspectives on ethical issues, given that the Muʿtazilites represent an earlier intellectual and methodological development compared to other theological schools. Although classical works of kalām do not contain independent chapters devoted exclusively to ethics, ethical discussions occupy a significant place within theological literature. This is due to the fact that concepts such as divine will, human actions, justice, righteousness, good and evil—closely tied to the question of divine decree and predestination—contributed to shaping ethical thought within kalām.
The Muʿtazilites adopted a rationalist approach to interpreting ethics, maintaining that reason is the foundation for determining moral values. Their principles of divine unity (tawḥīd) and justice (ʿadl), which constitute part of their five foundational doctrines, formed the basis of their ethical system, linking the source of morality directly to human reason. By contrast, the Ashʿarites argued that moral values can only be known through divine revelation, since both good and evil are created by God and cannot impose any limitation upon divine will. They contended that any ethical framework granting human reason a central role and positioning humans as independent moral agents would undermine God’s absolute sovereignty. The Māturīdites, however, adopted a more balanced stance, integrating reason, revelation, and human nature in their interpretation of ethics, thereby offering a more comprehensive approach compared to both the Ashʿarites and the Muʿtazilites
