A Comparative Study of the Concept of Freedom with an Emphasis on the Views of Imam Khomeini and Erich Fromm

Despite the codification of principles concerning individual and social freedoms, the effective realization of these rights in different human societies continues to face significant challenges. New forms of colonialism and various forms of dependency have reduced the concept of freedom to nothing more than the absence of coercion. Against this backdrop, a comparative examination of the views of Imam Khomeini and Erich Fromm on freedom and its constituent elements is of particular significance. Both thinkers regard freedom as a fundamental condition for the attainment of human happiness and the perfection of life; however, their definitions of freedom and their accounts of its essential components differ in accordance with their respective intellectual and ideological orientations. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the present study comparatively examines these two perspectives. A comparative understanding of their views can contribute to a deeper comprehension of the characteristics and limitations of freedom in contemporary societies, particularly in light of differing Islamic and Western approaches, while also helping to identify practical strategies for its realization. Coercive conditions and relations governing people's lives have diminished the scope of individual and social freedoms and have generated new forms of deprivation of liberty. Accordingly, analyzing and critically examining these conditions and identifying their various dimensions are essential to achieving genuine freedom. Imam Khomeini conceptualizes freedom in relation to religion, social justice, and wilayat al-faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist), ultimately orienting it toward spiritual proximity to God. Erich Fromm, by contrast, understands freedom in terms of independence from all forms of domination and as a condition for individual self-realization and responsible participation in society. Despite this fundamental difference regarding the source of legitimacy and the ultimate purpose of freedom, both thinkers maintain that freedom devoid of ethical and social orientation cannot lead to a desirable outcome. Overall, this study examines the points of convergence and divergence in the conceptualization of freedom in the thought of Imam Khomeini and Erich Fromm, with particular emphasis on individual and social rights, freedom as a pathway to human flourishing, responsibility, and resistance to domination.

کلیدواژه ها:

freedom ، Imam Khomeini ، Erich Fromm ، comparative study ، Human Societies