ibn Miskawaih by sara anam...MUSLIM DARWIN

IBN MISKAWAIH , muslim philosopher thinker

1. IBN Miskawayh SARA ANAM

2. BIOGRAPHY: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yaqub , surnamed Miskawaih … BORN, 320 A.H ( 932 A.D ) Rey, Ziyarid Iran His views on ethics are very famous and important. Like so many other intellectuals of his time, Ibn Miskawayh studied philosophy and history as means of investigating Truth “al-Haq” ……. INTEREST…Theology, philosophy, history, ethics, chemistry n poetry….

3. Con….. Known as FATHER of I slamic E thics and third teacher… His effect on Islamic philosophy is mainly concerned with ethical issues…

4. BOOKS… 1 : Al Fawz Al Asghar ( The smaller the win ) 2: Tajarib Al umam ( experiences of nations ) 3: Tahdib Al Akhlaq (Refinement of character )

5. EVOLUTION… In his book " Al Fauz Al Asghar " (The Smallest Achievement).. he wrote that , “ Every animal really originates from a non animal , for the seminal fluid isn’t itself an animal. This fluid is made of blood and blood of food and food of plants and plants of elements and elements of the simple atoms and these latter of ' form' and 'matter ' Ibn Miskawayh attributed the processes of both creation and evolution to Allah the Creator……..

6. EVOLUTION God first created matter and invested it with energy for development. Matter, therefore, adopted the form of vapour which assumed the shape of water in due time. The next stage of development was mineral life. Different kinds of stones developed in course of time. Their highest form is being mirjan (coral ). It is a stone which has in it branches like those of a tree. After mineral life involves vegetation . The evolution of vegetation culminates with a tree which bears the qualities of an animal. This is the date-palm . It has male and female genders. It does not wither if all its branches are chopped but it dies when the head is cut off….

7. EVOLUTION The date-palm is therefore considered the highest among the trees and resembles the lowest among animals . Then is born the lowest of animal. It evolves into an ape . This is not the statement of Darwin. This is what Ibn Maskawayh states and this is precisely what is written in the Epistles of Ikhwan al- Safa . The Muslim thinkers state that ape then evolved into a lower kind of a barbarian man . He then became a superior human being . Man becomes a saint, a prophet . He evolves into a higher stage and becomes an angel. The one higher to angels is indeed none but God. Everything begins from Him and everything returns to Him.”

8. EVOLUTION Arabic manuscripts of the al- Fawz al- Asghar were available in European universities by the 19th century . This work is believed to have been studied by Charles Darwin, who was a student of Arabic, and it is thought to have had an influence on his inception of Darwinism.

9. ETHICAL WRITINGSS …. He said that soul is not an accident. It is immortal and independent substance that controls the body….. The soul distinguishes us from animals, from other human beings and from things, and it uses the body and the parts of the body to attempt to come into contact with more spiritual realms of being….. The soul cannot be an accident (or property of the body) because it has the power to distinguish between accidents and essential concepts and is not limited to awareness of accidental things by the sense…....

10. Con….. Ethics is a technique and method through applying which in one’s soul, some dispositions are created that only good deeds are issued form such a soul….. Ethics is of the noblest sciences; for the nobility of each science is dependent upon its subject, and the subject of ethics is human’s spirit, that is the noblest of creatures and subjects…. Man can purify himself in the light of the obstacles of perfection by spiritual struggle with one’s carnal desires and save himself from real loss, that is, his own loss….

11. Con…. In the light of moral teachings a human being refrains from badness and atrocity, and achieves virtue and happiness to the extent that he or she becomes the companion of the pure and angels, and accept divine bounty …. A deep disposition is a soul related state that causes the issuance of an action from a person without thinking and speculation….. Miskawayh divides this disposition into two kinds; natural disposition springs from man’s nature and temper, as some people are naturally such that become angry or excited because a minor event……..

12. These people are naturally coward, excitant, and tough. Ordinary disposition is created in the soul because of habit repetition. ……. This might in the beginning be with thinking and difficulty, but it gradually becomes a deep disposition through repetition . Miskawayh believes that one’s morality changes because of education and admonishment. This change is sometimes rapid and sometimes slow……..

13. VIRTUES AND VICES Human soul has three different faculties: A faculty related to distinguishing and thinking in the truth of the affaires, which is called intellectual (rational faculty ) and its instrument in body is the brain…. The second faculty is related to anger, fear, fearlessness and hegemonism , etc. Which is called irascible faculty, and its instrument in one’s body is the heart.. The third faculty which is related to lust and one’s desire to food, residence, marriage and other sensory pleasures are called appetitive, and its instrument in the body is liver .

14. Con….. The soul has three faculties: rational, coura­geous, and appetitive, and correspondingly three virtues: wisdom, courage, and temperance. By the harmony of these three virtues, we have a fourth one, namely, justice.

15. Con… Miskawaih determined seven species of wisdom … acuteness of intelligence, quickness of intellect, clearness of understanding, facility of acquirement, precision of discrimination, retention, and recollection…… Eleven species of courage.. magnanimity, collectedness, loftiness of purpose, firmness, coolness, stateliness, boldness, endurance, condescension, zeal, and mercy…

16. Con…… Nineteen species of justice , friendship, union, faithfulness, compassion, brotherhood, recompense, good partnership, fair-dealing, cordiality, sub­mission, resignation, devotion to God, forgetting of enmity, abstention from speaking ill of others, discussing the character of the just, ignoring the account of the unjust, and abstention from trusting the ignoble, the mischief­-monger, and the flatterer.

17. H uman nature and its original state: Miskawaih discusses the question of human nature and its original state: whether it is born good or bad. He states the opinion of the early Greeks who say that nature can never be changed, but rejects it…. Then he takes up the view of the Stoics who think that men are created good but become bad by their inclination to bad appetites and by keeping bad company. …. There is also a third opinion that men are created bad and they become good only by education. Galen rejects the last two views and says that men are of three kinds: some are good by nature, others are bad by nature, and a third class is intermediate between the two….

18. Con… According to ibn Miskawayh : The supreme goal of ethics, to achieve ultimate happiness.. Man is a civic being by nature, sociable by nature.. Every man need others people by nature: needs the aids of others.. Happiness can be attained through companionship, cooperation, and association with others.. Human society is one of the basic conditions of reaching supreme happiness….

19. Con….. According to Miskawayh : There are two levels of human happiness 1: The lower level of happiness ; Happiness related to physical goods 2: The higher level of happiness; Happiness that related to spiritual goods The accomplishment of human happiness can be achieved through, the accomplishment of human perfection..

20. Con…. Human perfection can be attained with two conditions which are being social and rational.. There are two aspects of human perfection 1: THEORETICAL PERFECTION Acquire knowledge and science 2: PRACTICAL PERFECTION Perfection in all kinds of action and governance.. Combination of both aspects of perfection leads to the accomplishment of happiness. The final aim, PRACTICAL LIFE

21. Con…… Miskawaih , gives a classification of happiness, This classification com­prises….. ( 1) health, ( 2) wealth, ( 3) fame and honor , ( 4) success, and ( 5) good thinking.

22. TWO TYPE OF CHARACTER…. 1 : Naturally inborn character , a natural temperament.. 2: Character that is formed through custom and training….

23. Con……. Based on his observation, ibn miskawayh rejected the view that described character as unalterable since it is completely determine by NATURE… He believed that , Character is formed and shaped sooner or later through education and learning and through association with good and virtuous people…

24. Character is formed through … 1 : Instruction, knowledge.. 2: Socialization 3: Habituation of religion, I slamic law and good manners.. 4: Reinforcement by rewards , admonishment/warning.. 5: Refinement of the soul by a habituation to a rough life… 6: Discipline of the soul, for example , trained for self resolution, patience, moderation and discipline… 7: prevention from frivolous and love poetry and bad companions…

25. Methods of training the boy’s soul For Miskawayh , psychological aspects are most important: 1: Praise is considered one of the most important of these means and methods suggested.. 2: Encouragement to rise above the desire for food and fine clothing.. 3: He should be trained to admire generous characteristics.. 4: He should be warned of punishment, and made to fear blame for any evil deeds he may demonstrate…

26. Students with loneliness According to him, as we are social being, therefore counselor needs to help the student out from the loneliness through socialize. Counselor may help the student to achieve happiness by: 1: write gratitude journal. 2: involve in physical goods like sports.. 3: increase spiritual goods like performing sunnah prayers…

27. REJECTION OF DOCTRINE Miskawaih discusses different doctrines and concludes by saying that we should reject the doctrine according to which happiness can come only after death and affirm that it is possible also in this world. No happiness is possible except by searching for the good in this world and the world to come . But as a true religious man he gives preference to the next world . Here are two kinds of happiness, one according to this world, the other according to the next, but no one can have the second without passing through the first.

28. FRIENDSHIP and LOVE He speak about friendship and love, . A striking passage in this part is about two kinds of love : ( a) love of man for God, (b ) love of disciple for master . The first is too high to be attained by mortal beings, and is reserved only for a few .

29. Con….. the second kind of love, Miskawaih draws a parallel between the son's love for his parents and the disciple's love for his master, and says that the latter is nobler and more generous, because masters educate our souls and by their guidance we obtain real happiness. The master is a “ spiritual father and a human lord; his goodness for the disciple is divine goodness, because he brings him up on virtues, feeds him with high wisdom, and conducts him to everlasting life in eternal blessing”.

30. FRIENDSHIP Friendship, in general, is most sacred and useful to all human beings. He who betrays it is more wicked than a counterfeiter of coins. A good man is a friend to himself and other people are also friends to him; he has no enemy except the bad…… The happy man is he who gains friends and tries his best to be of use to them…..

31. Con…. Miskawaih quotes Aristotle saying that man is in need of friends in good as well as in bad circumstances. Even a king is in need of friends because he cannot know his people's needs except through sincere friends, especially because they supply him information and help in execution of his orders. Man should do his best to please his friends and to be always on good terms with them without hypocrisy and flattery.

32. Con…… He regards affection ( mahabbah ) as an inborn capacity for associating with mankind In general , The object of animal love is pleasure and that of the spiritual love is virtue or goodness . The former is condemnable, the latter praiseworthy . He makes a specific mention of the love of man for God, of disciple for teacher, and of son for his parents in a graded series ,.. He says affection is a natural source of unity, so that justice is not required where affection reigns supreme. Affection, thus, is the sovereign; justice is the vicegerent.

33. “On Knowing One's Own Defects.” Miskawaih contends it by saying that there does not exist a friend who can find for you your defects, and that an enemy is more useful in this respect than a friend because he is more aware of your vices and would have no hesitation in revealing them to you . In the end, Miskawaih speaks of remedies for the diseases of the soul. He enumerates the most important diseases - anger, vanity, contentiousness, treason, cowardice, vainglory, fear and sadness…………….!!! THE END… پایان