The Concept of Justice from the Perspective of Imam Khomeini and Plato

Abstract

The ultimate objective of this research is to explore the concept of justice from the perspectives of Imam Khomeini and Plato. Recognizing the political thought of Plato, as one of the great theorists of political science, plays an important role in understanding the foundations of justice in the West, since the most significant pillar of his theorizing is the recourse to rationality. In the thought and vision of Imam Khomeini, the main factor in determining the characteristics of desirable justice is his own definition of the concept of justice. The research method is interpretivism. The research methodology is based on an interpretivist approach grounded in thematic analysis. The findings of the study show that the epistemological structure of Plato, centered on reason, led to a transformation in the content of his thought. By employing theories such as the “Form of the Good,” natural inequalities, and human indices based on appetite, spirit, and reason, he depicted a kind of imaginary or ideal state—what he termed the “utopia” or madīnah fāḍilah—which, due to the strength of its rational foundations, has thus far preserved an important part of the foundations of the concept of justice in the West. Imam Khomeini’s logic regarding justice, which was based on rational, philosophical, and jurisprudential principles on the one hand, and Shi‘a political thought and jurisprudential innovation on the other, simultaneously considered divine, individual, and social aspects. He practically implemented a part of it in society; however, he delineated the general indicators of justice at the individual, social, and global levels. Yet, due to the absence of precise criteria, the lack of institutionalization, and its limited acceptance, a large portion of it does not possess practical applicability in the political sphere of Iran and the world.