The Relationship between Agency and Structure in Allamah Tabatabaii's View

Allamah Tabatabaii, one of the pioneering and innovating thinkers in the area of social issues, made such attempts in interpreting and explaining Quranic verses that his view can be regarded as identical to most sociological discussions. Referring to his views related to social verses of the Quran, particularly the verses talking about life, book, consciousness, understanding, act, obedience, sin and common destiny for “nation”, it can be said that society as a social macro-structure has real existence and authenticity in Allamah’s view. On the other hand, since he explains human agency on the basis of innate nature, consciousness and will, it can also be said that his views is included in syncretism approach followed by an elaboration on mutual interaction between agency and structure. In order to explain this interaction, Allamah uses the concept of “shakelah i.e. structure” and believes that as structures can provide the conditions for the realization of man’s inherent and natural attitudes and in this way play an important role in the internalization of attitudes, rules, norms, etc. so individuals and social agents are able to effect the formation, change of reproduction of social structure by their own acts.