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Volume 5, Issue 2 (2025)
J Clin Care Skill 2025, 5(2): 121-139 |
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History
Received: 2025/03/5 | Accepted: 2025/04/11 | Published: 2025/04/30
Received: 2025/03/5 | Accepted: 2025/04/11 | Published: 2025/04/30
How to cite this article
Miandari H. Epistemic Effects of Gratitude as a Moral Virtue in The Noble Quran and Virtue Epistemology. J Clin Care Skill 2025; 5 (2) :121-139
URL: http://jpt.modares.ac.ir/article-6-79803-en.html
URL: http://jpt.modares.ac.ir/article-6-79803-en.html
Department of Science Studies, Iranian Institute of Philosophy, Tehran, Iran
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Introduction
Gratitude as a moral virtue has some epistemic effects in the Noble Quran. Virtue epistemology [Greco, 2002] can explain why such effects exist [Battaly, 2019]. Virtue epistemology is divided up into reliabilism and responsibilism [Axtell, 1997]. According to reliabilism, intellectual virtues include faculties [Sosa, 2015]. According to responsibilism, intellectual virtues include character traits [Zagzebski, 1996]. Therefore, responsibilism is more apt to answer our question. Among Responsibilists, Roberts has written extensively about gratitude from a moral perspective [Roberts, 1998; Roberts, 2004]. Roberts and Wood have written a book about intellectual virtues from a responsibilist perspective, which includes discussions about gratitude [Roberts & Wood, 2007]. I try to explain the epistemic effects of gratitude in The Noble Quran by drawing upon Roberts' ideas.
Definition of gratitude
I propose a Quranian definition based upon several exegeses. Then I briefly report Roberts' definition. Then I compare these two definitions.
A Quranian definition
Gratitude has three basic elements: the blessing, the giver, and the receiver.
Blessing
Blessing is the basis of gratitude [Tabataba'i, 1970c: 364].
Giver
The main characteristic of the giver is his reason for giving. His reason has one negative feature and one positive. The negative feature is that he isn't obliged to give [Tūsī, 1956, vol. 6: 141]. A notable feature is that he acts out of compassion [Baydāwī, 1997d: 170].
Receiver
The receiver of blessing is the one who is supposed to give thanks, not anyone else [Fakhr Rāzī, 1999a: 190]. Honoring the giver is also an element of gratitude [Tūsī, 1956a: 239]. Acknowledging the blessing and praising the giver are also elements of gratitude [Ridā, 1993b: 327]. A kind of returning is also an element of gratitude [Qurtubi, 1985a: 398]. The appropriate use of blessings is also an element of gratitude [Taleghani, 1983b: 365].
A philosophical definition
Roberts defines gratitude through analyzing I am grateful to S for X: 1. X is a benefit to me; 2. S has acted well in conferring X on me; 3. In conferring X, S has acted benevolently toward me; 3a. In conferring X benevolently, S has gone beyond merely dutiful motivation; 4. In conferring X with generous benevolence, S has put me in debt of grace to him or her; 5. S’s benevolence and conferral of X show that S is good; 6. I want to express my indebtedness and attachment to S in some token return benefit [Roberts, 2015].
Comparing two definitions
There is general agreement between the two definitions for our purposes.
Gratitude as a moral virtue
I propose a Quranian definition based upon several exegeses. Then I briefly report Roberts' definition. Then I compare these two definitions.
A Quranian definition
Gratitude as a moral virtue is not limited to some occasional acts but encompasses the whole person, including thoughts. Gratitude as a moral virtue is not limited to specific occasions, but rather encompasses most of the time [Zamakhshari, 1986c: 573]. Gratitude as a moral virtue is not limited to one level but encompasses different levels [Ibn Ajibah, 1998: 481]. Those who are at higher levels are exemplars for those at lower levels [Qutb, 2004b: 2787].
A philosophical definition
Roberts distinguishes between two kinds of virtues: virtues of will power and virtues that are substantive and motivational. Virtues like honesty are substantive because they have characteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion. These virtues are motivational because the virtuous person takes satisfaction in virtuous actions. Virtues like courage are virtues of will power because they don't have characteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion and because they aren't motivational [Roberts, 1984].
Gratitude as a moral virtue is a substantive and motivational virtue because it h::as char::acteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion and the grateful person takes satisfaction in grateful actions [Roberts, 1991: 335].
Roberts rejects situationism in personality psychology that holds character-traits (including, perhaps especially, virtues) are overrated as determinants of behavior and situational factors are more important. But situationism emphasizes observable behavior to the neglect of subjects’ internal processes of motivation, understanding, and evaluation of situations [Roberts, 2013: 194-195].
Roberts alludes to the levels of gratitude [Roberts, 2004: 70-71]. The grateful person at higher levels receives honor and glory on the one hand and ridicule and insult on the other equally because both are form God. Roberts considers Job as exemplar of the virtue of gratitude [Roberts, 2021].
Comparing two definitions
There is general agreement between two definitions for our purposes.
Epistemic effects of gratitude in The Quran
There are five categories of epistemic effects of gratitude in The Quran: gratitude and sign, gratitude and faith, gratitude and guidance, gratitude and epistemic faculties, gratitude and wisdom.
Gratitude and sign
Some verses of The Quran say that some things are signs for the grateful. There are evidences that the grateful are those who have the virtue of gratitude. These things are signs for God's unity and power [Haqqi Burusawi, NDb: 287].
Gratitude and faith
Some verses of The Quran say that gratitude is prior to faith [Makarem Shirazi, 1993a: 258].
Gratitude and guidance
Some verses of The Quran say that the grateful is the one who is guided [Nasr et al., 2015: 1452].
Gratitude and Epistemic Faculties
Some verses of The Quran say that epistemic faculties are given to people to give thanks but they rarely do that. The reason is that they don't use them properly [Ālūsī, 1994d: 122].
Gratitude and Wisdom
Some verses of The Quran say that wisdom is concomitant with gratitude [Tabataba'i, 1970d: 215].
Epistemic effects of gratitude in epistemology
Roberts and Wood [Roberts & Wood, 2007] argue against the general model of knowledge as adequately grounded (warranted, justified) true belief. This model seek a conception of such grounding that enables us to specify the logically necessary and sufficient conditions for any belief’s being a case of knowledge. They call this kind of knowledge propositional knowledge. Roberts & Wood add acquaintance and understanding to propositional knowledge as aspects rather than kinds of knowledge.
Roberts [Roberts, 2013] argues that emotions are a kind of perceptual state through which we can be acquainted with the values that situations have. They thus play a crucial role in our fitness to know and understand certain truths. Emotions in general are the way we get perceptual moral information and only the emotions of the virtuous are highly reliable in this role.
Roberts and Wood mention some epistemic effects of gratitude. They say gratitude could be regarded as a liberation of the credulity disposition from unwarranted intellectual suspicion and distrust, and thus as disposition promoting warrant in testimony circumstances.
They also say a disposition to be grateful to the teacher for what she imparts, is an encouragement to the teacher, and thus promotes both the teacher’s teaching and the learner’s learning.
They also say that a fact about the sciences is that they are social enterprises, pursued by collaboration, by cooperative division of labor, by sharing of information and insights, and by debate. This fact suggests that better scientists will have social virtues such as gratitude to facilitate sharing of intellectual goods.
They also say autonomy is not only a negatively social virtue (sheer independence of others) but a positively social virtue (a dependent independence). In the ideal case, then, there should be some motivational indicator of the positivity of autonomy, and it seems to them to be gratitude. The autonomous individual’s positive relationship to his proper hetero-regulators is one of happy acknowledgment.
Determining the epistemic effects of gratitude in the Quran
The Quranic verses that mention some things as signs for the grateful also mention blessings. The grateful perceives these, and this is a kind of acquaintance. This perception justifies belief and, in turn, leads to propositional knowledge.
The Quranic verses that emphasize the priority of gratitude over faith can be explained by considering blessings that cannot be attributed to the cosmos, other human beings, or the self, and can only be attributed to God [Roberts, 2014].
The Quranic verses that state that the grateful are the ones who are guided can be explained by considering several epistemic routes that are open to the grateful. First is testimony. The second is a religious society. Collaboration, cooperative division of labor, sharing of information and insights, and debate in a religious society can help to guide people, and gratitude facilitates all these. Third is autonomy. Prophets and their believers are among proper hetero-regulators, and they can guide an autonomous person.
The Quranic verses that state only the grateful properly utilize epistemic faculties can be explained by considering gratitude as a substantive-motivational virtue. The grateful have characteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion, and all these require the proper functioning of epistemic faculties.
The Quranic verses that say wisdom is concomitant with gratitude can be explained by considering practical wisdom that gratitude has [Roberts & Wood, 2007: 306, 311].
Gratitude as a moral virtue has some epistemic effects in the Noble Quran. Virtue epistemology [Greco, 2002] can explain why such effects exist [Battaly, 2019]. Virtue epistemology is divided up into reliabilism and responsibilism [Axtell, 1997]. According to reliabilism, intellectual virtues include faculties [Sosa, 2015]. According to responsibilism, intellectual virtues include character traits [Zagzebski, 1996]. Therefore, responsibilism is more apt to answer our question. Among Responsibilists, Roberts has written extensively about gratitude from a moral perspective [Roberts, 1998; Roberts, 2004]. Roberts and Wood have written a book about intellectual virtues from a responsibilist perspective, which includes discussions about gratitude [Roberts & Wood, 2007]. I try to explain the epistemic effects of gratitude in The Noble Quran by drawing upon Roberts' ideas.
Definition of gratitude
I propose a Quranian definition based upon several exegeses. Then I briefly report Roberts' definition. Then I compare these two definitions.
A Quranian definition
Gratitude has three basic elements: the blessing, the giver, and the receiver.
Blessing
Blessing is the basis of gratitude [Tabataba'i, 1970c: 364].
Giver
The main characteristic of the giver is his reason for giving. His reason has one negative feature and one positive. The negative feature is that he isn't obliged to give [Tūsī, 1956, vol. 6: 141]. A notable feature is that he acts out of compassion [Baydāwī, 1997d: 170].
Receiver
The receiver of blessing is the one who is supposed to give thanks, not anyone else [Fakhr Rāzī, 1999a: 190]. Honoring the giver is also an element of gratitude [Tūsī, 1956a: 239]. Acknowledging the blessing and praising the giver are also elements of gratitude [Ridā, 1993b: 327]. A kind of returning is also an element of gratitude [Qurtubi, 1985a: 398]. The appropriate use of blessings is also an element of gratitude [Taleghani, 1983b: 365].
A philosophical definition
Roberts defines gratitude through analyzing I am grateful to S for X: 1. X is a benefit to me; 2. S has acted well in conferring X on me; 3. In conferring X, S has acted benevolently toward me; 3a. In conferring X benevolently, S has gone beyond merely dutiful motivation; 4. In conferring X with generous benevolence, S has put me in debt of grace to him or her; 5. S’s benevolence and conferral of X show that S is good; 6. I want to express my indebtedness and attachment to S in some token return benefit [Roberts, 2015].
Comparing two definitions
There is general agreement between the two definitions for our purposes.
Gratitude as a moral virtue
I propose a Quranian definition based upon several exegeses. Then I briefly report Roberts' definition. Then I compare these two definitions.
A Quranian definition
Gratitude as a moral virtue is not limited to some occasional acts but encompasses the whole person, including thoughts. Gratitude as a moral virtue is not limited to specific occasions, but rather encompasses most of the time [Zamakhshari, 1986c: 573]. Gratitude as a moral virtue is not limited to one level but encompasses different levels [Ibn Ajibah, 1998: 481]. Those who are at higher levels are exemplars for those at lower levels [Qutb, 2004b: 2787].
A philosophical definition
Roberts distinguishes between two kinds of virtues: virtues of will power and virtues that are substantive and motivational. Virtues like honesty are substantive because they have characteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion. These virtues are motivational because the virtuous person takes satisfaction in virtuous actions. Virtues like courage are virtues of will power because they don't have characteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion and because they aren't motivational [Roberts, 1984].
Gratitude as a moral virtue is a substantive and motivational virtue because it h::as char::acteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion and the grateful person takes satisfaction in grateful actions [Roberts, 1991: 335].
Roberts rejects situationism in personality psychology that holds character-traits (including, perhaps especially, virtues) are overrated as determinants of behavior and situational factors are more important. But situationism emphasizes observable behavior to the neglect of subjects’ internal processes of motivation, understanding, and evaluation of situations [Roberts, 2013: 194-195].
Roberts alludes to the levels of gratitude [Roberts, 2004: 70-71]. The grateful person at higher levels receives honor and glory on the one hand and ridicule and insult on the other equally because both are form God. Roberts considers Job as exemplar of the virtue of gratitude [Roberts, 2021].
Comparing two definitions
There is general agreement between two definitions for our purposes.
Epistemic effects of gratitude in The Quran
There are five categories of epistemic effects of gratitude in The Quran: gratitude and sign, gratitude and faith, gratitude and guidance, gratitude and epistemic faculties, gratitude and wisdom.
Gratitude and sign
Some verses of The Quran say that some things are signs for the grateful. There are evidences that the grateful are those who have the virtue of gratitude. These things are signs for God's unity and power [Haqqi Burusawi, NDb: 287].
Gratitude and faith
Some verses of The Quran say that gratitude is prior to faith [Makarem Shirazi, 1993a: 258].
Gratitude and guidance
Some verses of The Quran say that the grateful is the one who is guided [Nasr et al., 2015: 1452].
Gratitude and Epistemic Faculties
Some verses of The Quran say that epistemic faculties are given to people to give thanks but they rarely do that. The reason is that they don't use them properly [Ālūsī, 1994d: 122].
Gratitude and Wisdom
Some verses of The Quran say that wisdom is concomitant with gratitude [Tabataba'i, 1970d: 215].
Epistemic effects of gratitude in epistemology
Roberts and Wood [Roberts & Wood, 2007] argue against the general model of knowledge as adequately grounded (warranted, justified) true belief. This model seek a conception of such grounding that enables us to specify the logically necessary and sufficient conditions for any belief’s being a case of knowledge. They call this kind of knowledge propositional knowledge. Roberts & Wood add acquaintance and understanding to propositional knowledge as aspects rather than kinds of knowledge.
Roberts [Roberts, 2013] argues that emotions are a kind of perceptual state through which we can be acquainted with the values that situations have. They thus play a crucial role in our fitness to know and understand certain truths. Emotions in general are the way we get perceptual moral information and only the emotions of the virtuous are highly reliable in this role.
Roberts and Wood mention some epistemic effects of gratitude. They say gratitude could be regarded as a liberation of the credulity disposition from unwarranted intellectual suspicion and distrust, and thus as disposition promoting warrant in testimony circumstances.
They also say a disposition to be grateful to the teacher for what she imparts, is an encouragement to the teacher, and thus promotes both the teacher’s teaching and the learner’s learning.
They also say that a fact about the sciences is that they are social enterprises, pursued by collaboration, by cooperative division of labor, by sharing of information and insights, and by debate. This fact suggests that better scientists will have social virtues such as gratitude to facilitate sharing of intellectual goods.
They also say autonomy is not only a negatively social virtue (sheer independence of others) but a positively social virtue (a dependent independence). In the ideal case, then, there should be some motivational indicator of the positivity of autonomy, and it seems to them to be gratitude. The autonomous individual’s positive relationship to his proper hetero-regulators is one of happy acknowledgment.
Determining the epistemic effects of gratitude in the Quran
The Quranic verses that mention some things as signs for the grateful also mention blessings. The grateful perceives these, and this is a kind of acquaintance. This perception justifies belief and, in turn, leads to propositional knowledge.
The Quranic verses that emphasize the priority of gratitude over faith can be explained by considering blessings that cannot be attributed to the cosmos, other human beings, or the self, and can only be attributed to God [Roberts, 2014].
The Quranic verses that state that the grateful are the ones who are guided can be explained by considering several epistemic routes that are open to the grateful. First is testimony. The second is a religious society. Collaboration, cooperative division of labor, sharing of information and insights, and debate in a religious society can help to guide people, and gratitude facilitates all these. Third is autonomy. Prophets and their believers are among proper hetero-regulators, and they can guide an autonomous person.
The Quranic verses that state only the grateful properly utilize epistemic faculties can be explained by considering gratitude as a substantive-motivational virtue. The grateful have characteristically ethical patterns of behavior, judgment, and emotion, and all these require the proper functioning of epistemic faculties.
The Quranic verses that say wisdom is concomitant with gratitude can be explained by considering practical wisdom that gratitude has [Roberts & Wood, 2007: 306, 311].