In the evaluation of knowledge from the epistemological point of view on one hand such as fundamentalism, coherentism, and reliabilism, and on the other hand externalism and internalism have been proposed. The pure Virtue Epistemology theory was proposed by Linda Zagzebski. According to Zagzebski, contemporary epistemology is based on virtue ethics. By modeling moral virtues and their application in epistemology, she speaks of intellectual virtues, especially understanding and phronesis. From her views, contemporary epistemology has faced issues such as wisdom ignorance and understanding, focusing on certainty, monopoly of knowledge to propositional knowledge, confusion in the sense of justification, neglecting the role of free will, and lack of attention to feeling and emotion in search of knowledge. There are many critics on the pure virtue epistemology which can be categorized into three sections: first, internal critiques derived from epistemology itself, second, critiques derived from the philosophy of mind, and third, critiques derived from the philosophy of ethics. In this study, the question is whether the epistemological theory of pure virtue is capable of responding to these critiques and whether it has internal or external consistency. By turning the evaluation of knowledge from belief evaluation to the evaluation of agent-based belief and his or her characteristic and personality traits, Zagzebski finds a way to open up and seems to be successful in doing so. The research method of this discourse is Lakatos research program with regard to the central core and seat belts and positive and negative strategies.

The role of pattern in moral education -regardless to the details- is undeniable, and this position has more prominent in normative ethics and moral education based on virtue. As Linda Zagzebski, a contemporary Theorist belives that the role of pattern has position more then Supporting role and considered it as a criterion for understanding moral concepts. In religious texts, especially the Holy Quran, the role of pattern -apart from the attribution of virtue to its normative theory -is emphasized, , but the framework of its position has not been examined. This research Considers the theory of "moral model orientation" of Zagszebski as the axis, compares it with the dimensions of pattern in Qur'an. Therefore, it has extracted the elements of the theory in five parts and after explaining them, it has deduced the perspective of Qur'an on each of them based on the related verses. The findings of the research from the perspective of the Qur'an, Being a role model is at the back stage of the understanding of concepts, and Qur'an, in addition to introducing patterns, has also made a theoretical call. Also, by choosing the stories of the past, Qur'an has narrated good and bad pattern for reasoning and learning. Also, it has introduced pattern for different levels and various fields, and also introduced a complete and absolute pattern .

Linda Zagzebski is one of the philosophers working on the emotions and motivating dispositions of the saints. By expanding her theory of divine motivation, she tried to fill in an important gap in previous accounts about saintly life and show why thinking of the saints only as moral exemplars is insufficient. She argues that the saints’ connection to God is what makes them morally good. Zagzebski focuses rightly on the emotions of the saints and provides valuable insights into their moral psychology. In the present study, we first discuss the etymology of the word "saint" and examine its historical background in Christian culture, and then, through the explanation of Zagszebski's important theories of Exemplarism and Divine Motivation, we criticize her most important arguments about the saintly life. Although her attractive viewpoint makes some important advances toward understanding and justifying moral saintliness, it remains deficient insofar as she cannot accurately clarify the limits of imitating saints and the nature of their connection to God. Also, she neglects the role of religious institutions, communities, and spiritual disciplines in helping the saints come to share God’s motives, and she either does not give due attention to the specific virtues and gifts the saints-especially in non-Christian cultures-possess. So, her account is not comprehensive enough in this regard. Introduction Linda Zagzebski, a contemporary moral philosopher and theoretician of Moral Exemplarism, in analyzing and explaining the distinction of different moral theories, points to three concepts of goodness, virtue, and right action. She believes that an effective moral theory should motivate people to live morally and drive them to moral excellence. Zagzebski defends a virtue-based approach to explain a compelling and attractive moral theory that can drive people to goodness without obligation. However, her considered virtue is not a mere cognitive and mental concept. Rather, it is closely related to emotional motivation, which arises from reference to imitable ideals called moral saints. In fact, the saints are the starting point of her exemplarism account of virtue ethics. Zagzebski considers the goodness of saints because they share divine motives with others. In this study, we first explore the historical roots and usage of the word saint, and then, while briefly explaining the function of Zagszebski's theory of moral exemplarism, we discuss the divine motivation of saints and the components of saintly life from her point of view. Finally, we criticize the sufficiency of these arguments. Materials and Methods We tried to provide a correct understanding of the word "saint" by reviewing numerous articles and entries in religious encyclopedias. Also, we reviewed the interesting essays which have been written about the acceptance, application, or rejection of the saintly lifestyle in western philosophical literature and theology. We examined Linda Zagzebski's moral and theological views and her exemplarism approach, which have good references to the role models of saints, the discussion of God's imitation, and the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ as a model of moral virtues. In sum, the present research is a new and distinctive work in terms of applying and analyzing the two theories of Zegzebski's exemplarism and divine motivation, drawing the face of the moral saints considered by her and criticizing this view. Research Findings By placing God as the source of all valuable attributes, Zagzebski describes the similarities of the saints in their moral and religious dimensions and justifies their differences based on their life narratives, emotional reactions in different situations, and their motivations in response to those situations. Her view affirms the existence of certain characteristics in saints which are best known as strong emotional dispositions, Desires that are somehow related to their relationship with God. Zagzebski's recent explanation of saints is important because she rightly tries to connect their religious and moral aspects. Focusing properly on the emotions of the saints, she provides valuable insights into their motivations for performing supererogation and highly humanitarian behaviors, the good cause of their emotions, and why they should be imitated. In short, Zagzebski’s final view on saints can be summarized in three main components: a) Being moral and religious ideal: Zagszebski's explanation of saintliness, with the right emphasis on the relationship of saints with God and their moral ideal and trying to understand the nature of the relationship between these two aspects, is outstanding among the philosophical descriptions of saints. Zagzebski considers the moral goodness of the saints because of their imitation of Christ and then developing motives like his. So, the sacrifice and supererogatory actions of the saints can be justified from the point of view of religious imitation. b) Having developed emotions: Saints are known for communicating from the heart with people, loving real goodness, and not being fascinated by the external appearance of people, looking at phenomena as they really are, and providing valuable and efficient advice even to strangers, and all these abilities are due to their developed emotions. c) Imitability: According to Zagzebski, we should imitate the emotions, motivations, and virtues of the saints and perform actions that produce the same results that the saints are motivated to achieve. She introduces the saints as role models in life, who appear good in almost any situation, and referring to their life narrations inspires admiration for all of us. Discussion of Results and Conclusion In general, it is possible to evaluate Zagszebs’s effort in explaining her moral theory in the direction of emphasizing the lives of saints as effective and captivating moral models. Using the theory of direct reference, she describes the process of imitating virtues from virtuous people and further points out the common characteristics of moral saints. By claiming to discover the good nature of moral models, Zagzebski tries to reduce the main foundations of moral theories, including attention to the character of the agent in virtue ethics and attention to actions and consequences in deontological and utilitarian ethics, to the concept of emotions. From her point of view, the value of virtue depends on its connection with emotions that are really good. By referring all moral values to God as the source of goodness, she aims to get rid of the charge of relativism regarding her considered moral models to the extent that she considers the condition of being a saint to be shared by others in divine motives and virtues, as embodied in her character, Jesus Christ. In summing up her view on saints, we find these people as moral and religious ideals, with developed emotions and worthy of imitation. But with all the positive points in Zagsbeski’s account, there are also criticisms: The inability to discover the nature of the relationship of saints with God, the uncertainty of the extent of the devotion to saints, not comprehensive in drawing out the characteristics of saintly life, generalizing the examples of Christian culture to other cultures and religions, ignoring the role of religious communities and spiritual teachings in the development of moral ideals. In any case, it seems that part of the doubts and criticisms about Zagzebski’s view is due to the newness of her theory, which could become clear with more research.

Knowledge is one of the most important achievements of human being in confrontation with phenomena and facts which he acquires through his cognitive faculties. Throughout the history of philosophy, there was always this confusion that whether our beliefs are influenced by non-epistemic areas and external elements or not; and if so, is it epistemologically acceptable and intelligible or the agent should avoid these effects. Zagzebski, one of the modern epistemologists, who is known often by his theory of “virtue epistemology”. In the process of theorizing, he speaks of non-epistemic elements as the foundations of knowledge. Feelings and emotions, virtues and vices, human will and social backgrounds are some of the most important elements which she mentions and constructs her theory on them.This article will analyze these elements and process of their impacts on formation of knowledge.

In the thought of Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi and Linda Zagzebski, two famous philosophers from two different eras and civilizations, we come across some components that lead us to a common approach. The value of knowledge, according to both philosophers, is a result of the value of processes, without which philosophy is doomed to fail. The three common necessities in the philosophy of Suhrawardi and Zagzebski are: (1) The necessity of internal elevation, which upholds the qualitative and internal process of knowledge by trying to strengthen the human will. (2) The necessity of unifying wisdom. According to this necessity, a person thinks about the unity of human opinion and experience by trusting in his/her thought and other intellectual traditions. Moreover, to reach self-cultivation and also to understand and elevate wisdom, a person requires personal intuition and creativity in each era. (3) The necessity of narrative, which makes the development of philosophical intentions dependent on the genius in thinking, the genius in creating motivation, and also the return to intellectual and moral patterns. With a new look at the factors of knowledge promotion, this research has addressed some epistemologically neglected topics that the spiritual and epistemological life of philosophy depends on it.

Extended AbstractIntroductionA model for the epistemology of religious belief is Zagzebski’s virtue epistemology. It evaluates religious beliefs in terms of intellectual virtues such as understanding, wisdom (phronesis), and doxastic characters. A belief is stable and valid if its subject possesses intellectual virtues. We might embark on evaluating religious beliefs, particularly monotheism, God’s existence, and His attributes based on virtue renderings of intuitions and illuminations. Intuitions and illuminations are processes through which one achieves rational flourishing in light of wisdom. Both Suhrawardī and Zagzebski draw on intellectual virtues, particularly wisdom, to account for religious beliefs. In such an evaluation, instead of beliefs, believers are evaluated. Zagzebski’s account gives way to two readings: in terms of understanding and in terms of wisdom. This article deals with the role of wisdom in evaluating religious beliefs. This reading might be thought of as a version of Suhrawardī’s view of religious beliefs, particularly the belief in God. In a recapitulation of his view, Suhrawardī insists that attainment of genuine knowledge is enabled through theoretical wisdom, practical wisdom, intuitions and revelations, and possession of moral and intellectual virtues (Suhrawardī 1993, vol. 2; also see Zagzebski 1996, 1993a, 1993b, 2000, 2011). There has been research on religious beliefs in Iran in the last decade, but none of these studies has talked about the rationality of religious belief in the light of wisdom with all its aspects and independently. Therefore, the present research is novel in this connection, and its main contribution is its discussion of the virtue of wisdom according to Suhrawardī and Zagzebski.MethodThe method of this research is descriptive-analytic. It is based on Lakatos’s research program. The research is focused on wisdom and its role in choosing beliefs. Its positive strategy is the epistemic authority of the self and others in choosing beliefs, and its negative strategy is the critique of rival theories such as radical fideism and strong rationalism.  Results and Discussion This article begins with an overview of the epistemic foundations of Suhrawardī and Zagzebski:(a) Intellectual virtues as modeled upon virtue ethics, (b) rational faculties or powers are not the only belief-forming powers. Indeed, moral faculties or powers play a reciprocal role in the formation and reception of beliefs, (c) an epistemic subject has both epistemic and moral duties, (d) just as we have an epistemic trust in our own rational and moral faculties, we have an epistemic trust in other people, (e) the will or motivation to attain the truth is as relevant to moral virtues as it is to intellectual virtues, (f) giving up on the scientific-empirical model of epistemology and tuning to the specialized model of religious epistemology, (g) extension of objects of religious beliefs from propositional to non-propositional facts, (h) taking into consideration the external and internal dimensions of knowledge-conferring character of non-epistemic factors in attainment of genuine knowledge, (i) special consideration of wisdom in reception of genuine knowledge, instead of explanation or justification of beliefs. A wise person is one who possesses moral and intellectual virtues, through which he or she decide under certain circumstances what is the right thing to believe or to do. Intuitions are crucial to the process of attaining wisdom. A wise person deploys intuitions, particularly rational intuitions, to make proper decisions about accepting or denying a belief or act.ConclusionThere have been different versions of rational evaluation and stability of religious beliefs, including foundationalism, coherentism, and fideism. What matters is that the believer possesses moral and intellectual virtues to attain the beliefs that are proper to wise people. To take a wise person as a role model can pave the path for attainment of valid beliefs. In their virtue-theoretic framework, Suhrawardī and Zagzebski propose that a wise person, possessing spiritual virtues, is a superior model for those who seek genuine knowledge so that they can attain wisdom. Both Suhrawardī and Zagzebski begin with reflective reasons, and then turn to theoretical reasons. The highest degree of belief in monotheism, God’s existence, and His attributes can be attained in light of wisdom.

Exemplarism is a form of virtue ethics that posits moral exemplars as fundamental criteria of morality. Currently, two distinct versions of exemplarism have been articulated: one rooted in the Christian tradition and another in the Islamic-Shiite tradition. The Christian perspective, as expounded by Zagzebski, draws inspiration from the character of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the theory of authoritavist (wilāʾī) ethics, derived from the transmitted teachings of Shiism, shares notable similarities with Zagzebski’s theory. In the Christian tradition, exemplars are developed based on the writings of Zagzebski, guided by Christian principles and the character of Jesus Christ. In contrast, Shiite exemplarism holds that perfect exemplars are infallible, immune from sins and mistakes. Accordingly, their speeches and actions serve as criteria for understanding moral concepts and instances. This article aims to clarify and compare these two perspectives, highlighting the advantages of authorativist ethics over Christian exemplarism. It emphasizes the concept of infallibility (ʿiṣma) of the exemplar and explores how this belief addresses objections raised against exemplarism. Drawing upon a library and analytical comparative method, this article contends that the belief in the infallibility of exemplars addresses objections such as the unreliability of all actions and characteristics of the exemplar, moral immaturity, and relativism. The acceptance of the infallibility of the perfect exemplar stands out as a distinctive advantage of Shiite exemplarism over its Christian counterpart.

controlled Intellectual virtues are stable traits of human ego, that are used to examine the truth (the preoccupation of the mind). Zagzebski considered intellectual virtues to be the characteristics of an admirable intellectual personality that have two components of motivation and credible success. This article seeks to look at the nature of intellectual virtues and their educational implications in the teaching of thought through an analytical approach from Zagzebsky's perspective. While analyzes show that Admirable personality traits that are sufficiently acquired and controlled by the cognitive factor are valuable in themselves and should be developed with principles such as direct reference to examples, emphasis on the psycho-motivational structure of individuals and their admiration, the growth of critical thinking. He taught philosophy, creative creativity, and methods such as reading, narration, and direct imitation of virtues and virtues.