The Interconnection among General Moral Principles in Islam

The general moral principles express universal values from which other values are derived. Many disagreements as to ethical theories have their roots in the kind of explanation given for these principles. There are six general moral principles (perfection, freedom, do-not-harm, public interests, desert, and justice) interconnected in such a way that none of them can be justified without explaining their relation to others. The principle of perfection ethically requires one to attain material and immaterial perfections. Freedom to achieve middle and final aims is defended by the principle of freedom based on principle of perfection. The limits of the principle of freedom are shown by the principle of do-not-harm. The principle of public interests helps people not to be deprived of public interests. Public interests are allocated by the principle of desert on strong grounds. Finally, harmony and balance among other principles are preserved by the principle of justice. Explaining general normative principles, this article aims to show their interconnection from an Islamic standpoint by adopting a descriptive-analytic method.