Evaluation and criticism of the concept of divine nature (Fitrah) in the formal supportive documents of the Iranian educational system

Abstract The foundational documents of Iran’s educational system are formulated based on the presupposition of a divine innate disposition (Fitrah), which leads to a particular approach to religious education, including the concept of God presented to students. These documents rely on a specific interpretation of Fitrah that has not yet been critically evaluated. This paper presents a philosophical analysis of this interpretation and examines its consequences in education. To this end, we first establish the theoretical foundation for this interpretation and then assess its internal consistency. The findings obtained through content analysis, retrogressive analysis, and critical examination of concepts indicate that the interpretation faces three significant challenges: Inconsistency in the dimensions of Fitrah (maximalist vs. minimalist); the challenge between ‘is’ and ‘ought’; educational labeling; negative freedom and neglect of individual agency. In education, this perspective leads to consequences such as diminishing the role of reasoning and individual freedom, cultural exclusivism, and prioritizing faith over ethics. The study proposes that revising the concept of Fitrah could open new horizons for religious and theistic education. This revised approach, which emphasizes an indeterminate characteristic of Fiṭrah alongside the role of rationality, autonomy, human agency and recognition of the individual’s environment, would contribute to forming a more comprehensive and balanced approach to religious education.