The Mirror of Knowledge

The Mirror of Knowledge

Explaining the Origin of Religion from Freud's Perspective and Evaluating It from the Perspective of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli

Document Type : Scientific-research

Authors
mohammad karamirobati 1
aboozar rajabi 2
1 Graduated from the Department of Theoretical Fundamentals of Islam, University of Islamic Sciences, Qom, Iran.
2 Department of Theoretical Foundations of Islam, University of Islamic Sciences, Qom, Iran.
10.48308/jipt.2026.241273.1668
Abstract
Sigmund Freud, through a psychological approach, identifies the cause of religion’s emergence as human-made, the cause of the tendency toward it as ignorance and fear of natural phenomena, and the cause of the necessity of this tendency as a temporary need for psychological calm. Using a descriptive-analytical method and distinguishing three meanings of the “origin of religion,” the present study critiques Freud’s theory from the perspective of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli. Findings show that Freud’s theory faces fundamental critiques in all three areas: regarding the cause of emergence, Freud neglects religion’s trans-material dimensions, reducing it to a human phenomenon. Regarding the cause of tendency, historical and scriptural evidence contradicts the ignorance-and-fear theory; prophets and saints were the most knowledgeable and courageous people of their time, and the main cause of tendency toward religion is divine innate nature (fitrah). Regarding the necessity of tendency, the need for religion is permanent, not temporary; thus, Freud’s prediction of religion’s decline with scientific progress has not materialized. In contrast, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, based on an Islamic worldview, considers religion’s origin as God’s will, the cause of tendency as fitrah, and the cause of the necessity of tendency as humanity’s fundamental and permanent needs.
Keywords
Religion
Origin of Religion
Ignorance of Natural Causes
Fear of Nature
Divine Nature
Ayatollah Javadi Amoli
Freud
Amirian, M., & Khosropanah, A. H. (2017). A Critical Discussion on Atheistic Psychological Perspectives on the Origin of Religion. Pasokh, (6), 67-88. [In Persian]
Challaye, F. (1969). Freud et le Freudisme, translated by Eshaq Vakili. Tehran: Matbu'at. [In Persian]
Egner, R. (2017). Selected Thoughts, translated by Abdolrahim Govahi. Tehran: Daftar-e Nashr-e Farhang-e Islami. [In Persian]
Faramarz Qaramaleki, A. (1997). A Meta-Psychological Analysis of Freud's View on Religion. Qabasat, (3), 132-146. [In Persian]
Freud, S. (1927). The Future of an Illusion. W. W. Norton & Company.
Freud, S. (1963). The Future of an Illusion, translated by Hashem Razi. Place unknown: Asia. [In Persian]
Fromm, E. (n.d.). Psychoanalysis and Religion, translated by Arsen Nazarian. Place unknown: Pooyesh. [In Persian]
Huwayzi, 'Abd 'Ali ibn Jum'ah (1994). Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn (Vol. 1). Qom: Ismailiyan. [In Persian]
Ibn Babawayh, Muhammad ibn 'Ali (1993). 'Uyun Akhbar al-Rida (a), translated by Hamidreza Mostafid and Ali Akbar Ghaffari (Vol. 1). Tehran: Nashr-e Saduq. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2004). Thematic Commentary of the Holy Quran (Monotheism in the Quran) (Vol. 2). Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2005a). Thematic Commentary of the Holy Quran (Fitrah in the Quran) (Vol. 12). Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2005b). Thematic Commentary of the Holy Quran (Revelation and Prophethood in the Quran). )Vol. 3(. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2006). Ali (a) as the Manifestation of God's Beautiful Names. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2008a). Religious Studies. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2008b). The Relationship between Religion and the World. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2008c). The Feast of Guardianship. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2009). Thematic Commentary of the Holy Quran (The Quran in the Quran). Vol. 1. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2010a). Expectation of Humans from Religion. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2010b). Interpretation of Human by Human. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2010c). The Similarity of the Quran and the Ahl al-Bayt (a). Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2010d). The Discipline of Annihilation of the Intimates (Vol. 1). Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2011). Tasnim (Vol. 25). Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2012). Soroush-e Hedayat. Vol. 6. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2015a). Knowledge and the Method of Worship. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2015b). Tasnim (Vol. 36). Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2017). Imamate. Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Javadi Amoli, A. (2018). Soroush-e Hedayat (Vol. 9). Qom: Esra. [In Persian]
Jones, E., & Dalbiez, R. (n.d.). Principles of Psychoanalysis, translated by Hashem Razi. Place unknown: Kaveh. [In Persian]
Macquarrie, J. (1996). Twentieth-Century Religious Thought, translated by Abbas Sheikh Shoaei and Mohammad Mohammad Rezaei. Qom: Daftar-e Tablighat-e Islami. [In Persian]
Majlisi, M. B. (1983). Bihar al-Anwar. )Vol. 40(. Beirut: Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-'Arabi. [In Arabic]
Narouei, R. (2008). A Critical Examination of Freud's Approach to Religion. Psychology and Religion, (1), 143-174. [In Persian]
Pals, D. (2003). Seven Theories of Religion, translated and critiqued by Mohammad Aziz Bakhtiari. Qom: Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute. [In Persian]
Row, W. (2011). “Freud and Religious Belief”, translated by Ghorban Elmi. Allameh. Vol. 1, No. 3, Winter. [In Persian]
Shahdadi, A. (2006). Freud and the Psychology of Religion: The Experience of Suffering and Fear. Hamshahri's Kheradnameh, (4), 44-47. [In Persian]
Shirvani, A., et al. (2021). Discussions in New Theology. Qom: Research Institute of Hawzeh and University. [In Persian]
Stace, W. T. (2011). Religion and the Modern Mind, translated by Ahmadreza Jalili. Tehran: Hekmat. [In Persian]
Storr, A. (1996). Freud, translated by Hasan Marandi. Tehran: Tarh-e Now. [In Persian]
Taheri, H. (2011). A Critical Examination of Freud's Theory on the Origin of Religion. New Religious Thoughts, (25), 137-156. [In Persian]
Tavakoli, G. H. (2004). The Origin of Religion from Freud's Perspective (A Critical Approach). Tehran: Sohravardi. [In Persian]
Wulff, D. M. (2007). Psychology of Religion, translated by Mohammad Dehghani. Tehran: Rushd. [In Persian]
Yousefian, H. (2012). New Theology. Tehran: SAMT; Qom: Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute. [In Persian]