Abu ‘Ali Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ya’qub (Miskawayh): Miskawayh’s Conception of the Soul

Abstract

This paper examines the development of the soul (al-nafs) and the philosophical conception of it through the works of Miskawayh, an Islamic thinker and philosopher. Drawing from the primary ethical treatise, the Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq, the article delineates Miskawayh’s intellectual background and his contributions to the development of the soul. The article attempts to explore the soul from the epistemological, ontological and axiological dimensions, and provide an illustration of Miskawayh’s thoughts interwoven with the Aristotelian and Platonic perspectives.  Significant to the development is Miskawayh’s view on the three faculties of the soul, i.e. the nutritive, spirited and rational, and the process of attaining supreme happiness through a perfected soul. The parallels between Miskawayh’s thoughts and contemporary psychology are also highlighted, demonstrating how several notions in his conception of the soul are present in areas such as personality and positive psychology. This article therefore aims to underscore the relevance of Miskawayh’s notion of the soul in contemporary discussions related to the shaping of one’s character, wellbeing, and ethical development.