Mudabicara.com_ Philosophy of the soul is an important part of the discussion of philosophy, many philosophers, both western and eastern, discuss the topic of soul philosophy.
For example, several early philosophers such as Aristotle, Socrates and Plato were some western philosophers who discussed the philosophy of the soul. Meanwhile, for eastern philosophers there are several figures, including Al Kindi, Al Farabi and Avicenna.
Of the several eastern philosophers, one of the most well-known to discuss the philosophy of the soul is Abu Yūsuf Yaʻqūb ibn ʼIsḥāq aṣ-Ṣabbāḥ al-Kindī or better known as Al Kindi.
This time, mudabicara wants to review in depth about Al Kindi ‘s philosophy of soul. For more details, please see the following review in full:
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Al Kindi’s Philosophy of Soul
Talking about the philosophy of the soul is certainly no stranger to the views of one of the early (classical) Muslim philosophers, namely Al Kindi. Al Kindi was born to a family of Arab blood, he comes from the Kindah tribe, one of the major tribes in the South Arabian Peninsula.
One of Al-Kindi’s strengths is presenting Greek philosophy to Muslims after he first changed these western thoughts into an Islamic perspective.
Al-Kindi himself has written many works in various disciplines. His works range from metaphysics, ethics, logic and psychology, to medicine, pharmacology, mathematics, astrology and optics, but also cover practical topics such as perfume, swords, zoology, glass, meteorology and earthquakes.
Meanwhile, in the context of philosophy , Al-Kindi said that the real function of philosophy is not to challenge the truth of revelation, demand superiority or even demand equality with revelation.
Philosophy should not claim to be the highest path to truth and want to lower itself as a support for revelation.
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Al Kindi defines philosophy as a knowledge of everything as far as the reach of human knowledge. Knowledge about humans is what later in Al Kindi’s view we know as knowledge about the soul.
Before entering into the elaboration of al Kindi’s philosophy of soul, it should be noted that Al Kindi divides the power of the soul into three: lustful (appetitive), angry (irascible) power, and thinking (cognitive or rational).
Like Plato, he compared these three mental powers by likening the thinking power to a charioteer and the other two powers (anger and lust) to two horses pulling the chariot.
If the mind can develop properly, then the other two mental faculties can be controlled properly too.
People whose lives are controlled by impulses of lust and anger are likened to Al-Kindi like dogs and pigs.
Whereas for those who make reason as their master, they are likened to kings. So what is the real meaning of Al Kindi’s philosophy of soul?
The Human Spirit in the Sight of Al Kindi
In the Qur’an and the hadith of the Prophet SAW, it does not explicitly explain the spirit or soul. Even the Qur’an as the main source of Islamic teachings informs that humans will not know the nature of the spirit because that is God’s business, not human’s business.
Therefore, Muslim philosophers discuss the soul, basing it on the philosophy of the soul put forward by the Greek philosophers. When they have found the meaning of the soul, then they align it with Islamic teachings.
The soul or spirit is one of al-Kindi’s main points of discussion, in fact al-Kindi was the first Muslim philosopher to discuss the nature of the spirit in detail.
Al-Kindi argues that the spirit has an essence and existence that is separate from the body, and is independent of one another.
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According to Al Kindi’s Philosophy of Soul, the soul is spiritual and divine. While jisim has lust and anger. On the other hand, Al-Kindi also said that the soul is Jauhar Basith (single, not composed, not long, deep and wide).
Even Al Kindi also emphasized that the soul has an important, perfect, and noble meaning. Its substance (jauar) comes from the substance of Allah. In terms of relationship with God, it is likened to the relationship between light and the sun.
Al Kindi’s argument about the difference between the soul and the body, is that the soul opposes the desires of lust. Just as when the passion of anger drives a person to commit a crime, the soul functions to prevent or even oppose it.
Incidents like this can be used as an indication that the soul as something that prohibits is certainly not the same as lust as something that is prohibited.
Another example When humans want to act in sin, sometimes there is one thing that makes the human intention to act in sin not to be carried out.
The urge to prevent or rethink not to commit immorality is also the work of the soul which reminds humans themselves not to do what is prohibited by religion.
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Relations between Al Kindi and Plato
After discussing Al Kindi’s philosophical view of the soul about the soul, we can conclude that Al Kindi’s view has a wedge with Plato’s view.
In Plato ‘s philosophy of soul , the unity between the soul and the body is an accidental union , damage to the body does not bring damage to the soul.
Although Al Kindi’s view of the soul is close to Plato’s view, on the other hand Al Kindi does not accept Plato’s opinion which says that the soul originates from the realm of ideas.
Al-Kindi divides the soul or spirit into four forces, including the following.
1. Lust power (al-quwwah ash-syahwaniyah) found in the stomach.
2. The force of anger (al-quwwah al-gadabiyah) found in the chest.
3. The power of thinking (al-quwwah al-natiqah) which is centered in the head
4. Thinking power, because that power elevates human existence to a higher level and the last power is the most important power.
About the power of the soul itself, Al-Kindi compares the power of lust in humans with pigs, the power of anger with dogs, and the power of thought with angels.
So, a person who is controlled by the power of lust, his aim in life is like that of a pig, who is controlled by the lust of anger, he is like a dog.
And whoever is controlled by the power of thought, then he will know the facts of being the main human being and almost resembling the divine nature of Asmaul Husna.
Wise, just, generous, good, prioritizing truth and beauty so that life can run and be arranged in a balanced way.
Whereas in the context of reason Al-Kindi divides reason into four types, one is outside the human soul and the other three are inside it.
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Intellect is forever in actuality (al-‘aql al-lazi bi al-fi’il Abadan). Reason is outside the human soul, divine, and eternal in actuality.
Then the potential mind (al-aql bi al-quwwah), namely the pure mind that exists in humans which is still in the form of potential and has not yet received sensory and deceptive forms.
Acquired intellect is a mind that has emerged from potentiality into actuality, and begins to show its abstract thoughts.
Furthermore, the mind that is in an actual state is real, when it is real, then it is called the “second” mind. Intellect in this form is a mind that has reached the second level of actuality.
It can be likened to the process of writing if someone really does the writing.
According to al-Kindi, not all spirits who continue to go to the realm of truth, only spirits who have been holy can reach it.
Al-Kindi does not seem to believe in the eternal punishment of the soul, but believes that in the end the soul will gain salvation and ascend to the realm of reason which is in the environment of God’s light.
The spirit that has entered the area has been able to see God.
Therefore, the spirit always yearns for reunion with its source (God). It is the pure spirit that can unite with its source.
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According to Al Kindi, a dirty spirit must first be cleansed to the moon, then proceed to Mercury and so on until it reaches the realm of reason which is in the region of God’s light and sees God.
That’s all for an explanation of Al Kindi ‘s philosophy of soul, see you in the next discussion. Happy reading!