A Comparative Study of Man's Nature from the Perspective of Ayatollah Misbah and Sartre

The discussion of man as one of the three important pivots of philosophy besides God and the world has always been considered in the world’s philosophical schools. Also, since ancient times, one of the most important questions about man concerns the nature and quiddity of man. Ayatollah Misbah believes that in addition to the material dimension, man has a spiritual dimension, which is the reality and the truth of man, of course. He believes that humans have a common nature and quiddity both in the sphere of desire and attitude and in awareness and cognition. However, Jean-Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, believes that humans have no common nature. Man’s quiddity is not predetermined, and he is free because he has no a priori nature and definition; man is equal to freedom. This paper comparatively examines the different views of these two philosophers on the nature of man.