The Making of the City of Virtues-a Traditional Perspective on Restoring Values among People

Abstract

According to the traditional classification, the source of mind is the brain and that of the inner self is the heart. These sources should be operated in a certain balance so as to decide and behave properly as it was the case in our primordial state. For, the will that decides on something would not function operatively unless it is strengthened by the power of brain and the heart. The traditional values education aims to operate these two active centres intertwined rather than separately. In order to execute this task, human beings must be known/understood together with all their dimension, capabilities and capacities as well. The motto of traditional education is expressed perfectly in the following phrase: “Know Thyself.” Once the microcosm is known, then the macrocosm would be easily comprehended. The human self has specific capacities such as intellect (aql), anger (ghadab) and desire. When these capacities are balanced, we may attain the virtues of wisdom (hikmah), courage (shajaah), honour (iffah) and justice (adalah), and their sub-virtues as well. Thus it is of great importance not to operate them individually. Whence the balance is neglected, we witness some extreme inclinations inevitably. That is to say, if one is continuously encouraged to be courageous without any balance, one may either show dishonesty and cunningness (ifrat) on one hand, or faintheartedness and lack of courage (tafrit) on the other. And even in some cases, we may face deviations such as pretentiousness, arrogance and behaving like a wiseacre (radaah). This example is only related to the balance or imbalance of courage. This can be applied to all virtues. Philosophers (in the exact meaning of the term philo-sophia) and sages convey noble virtues to the community in which they lived as the stations to become Universal Man (al-Insan al-Kâmil).