Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Imam Khomeini International University,Qazvin , Iran.
2
, PhD Candidate in Persian Language and Literature, Imam Khomeini International University,Qazvin, Iran.
10.22034/heroic.2026.2087267.1034
Abstract
The narrative of Siavash in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh constitutes one of the most prominent and poignant tragedies within Persian epic literature, wherein the philosophical concept of moral luck is manifested with profound complexity. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, this essay examines the tragic fate of Siavash through the theoretical lens of moral luck, investigating the intricate interplay between moral agency, destiny, and exogenous factors. The study seeks to answer the following research questions: How is the concept of "moral luck" conceptualized in moral philosophy, and in what ways can it serve as an analytical framework for interpreting Siavash's tragic destiny? What role do external factors beyond Siavash's control play in shaping the outcomes of his morally motivated actions? The principal findings reveal that Siavash—as an emblem of innocence and virtue—encounters moral luck across four distinct domains. First, in the realm of consequential luck, the moral value of his actions becomes contingent upon consequences that he neither produced nor could have anticipated. Second, within the domain of circumstantial luck, he is enmeshed in a situation not of his own choosing, yet one that decisively shapes his moral trajectory. Third, in the domain of constitutive luck, his inherent pacifism, institutional purity, and disposition toward trust—traits over which he exercised no agential control—prove detrimental in a world characterized by deception and intrigue. Fourth, in the domain of educational luck, the formative moral frameworks and principles that shaped his character systematically orient him toward a tragic culmination. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Siavash's tragedy arises not from moral failure, but from the unfortunate convergence of virtue with circumstances, consequences, and dispositions beyond his control.
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