Islamization of Psychology

Abstract

This article argues that modern secular psychology with its antireligious origins depends on a limited ontology of human nature which excludes human volition as well as its transcendental and unchanging elements. This article challenges the negation of human nature by demonstrating how the metaphysical presuppositions of Freud and Skinner actually assume a specific conception of human nature while denying its existence. This conception of human nature undermines the possibility of human volition, effectively excluding responsibility, selfdetermination, and moral choice as factors that shape human action. This article then turns to the ideas on psychology embedded in the works of classical Muslim scholars to argue that Islamic psychology is based on volition and sublimation.