The common aspect of all of these lectures is their reflection on self-improvement and self-cultivation, though they also address social issues at some points.

Morteza Motahhari references philosophical anthropology to explain and explore these concepts.

[10] The first edition of Spiritual Discourses was published in 1986, consisting of thirteen lectures across eight chapters in Iran.

[11][12][13] The book has eight chapters:[14] In a meeting with a group of poets on August 15, 2011, Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, recommended the book after pointing out the usefulness of reading the Quran, Nahj al-Balagha and Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya.

[24][14][25] The book was originally published in Persian,[26] and has been translated into English,[27][28] Urdu, Spanish[29] and Arabic.