Journal of - International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine

Ibn Miskaweih’s Innovations in Medicine
Amira AUMARI
The virtue “Justice” in the center of the circle and its
categories (subsidiary virtues) inside the circle on the vertical
axis, the opposites of this virtue (vices) at the periphery.
the virtue of justice is the power of self-gathering of
three forces (anger, sensual, property). This power of three
forces has to order these forces without submitting to any
of them, but it has to set right the power of anger and let it
take action when necessary, then it uses the power of anger
to overcome the sensual power.
Therefore, the circuit of “Justice” gathers the three circuits
and lead them to the perfection of soul.
All what is mentioned about reasons, it causes many
diseases to the soul and body, the only way to remedy them,
as Ibn Miskaweih stated, is by Justice (an overlap between
two circles happened, courage circuit, and Justice circuit).
The one who goes far in justifying the matters called “arbitrariness”
not a courage, as other say.
For example, when man gets angry, he offends his family
as if he shows his manhood to brothers, parents or others.
It is not strength or a courage, but it may exceed to hit
or broken glassware and no one can stop him, they may
also admit guilty, that did not commit, to response to this
anger.
In the opposite end of justice is a humiliation, an insult
of self occurs when there is a feeling of fright, without
having the sense of the anger power that lead to selfrevenge.
It is a depression where person have satisfaction
to any obscene made by any of his friends. Next, the fear
of an offense, wouldn’t take place, only a mere expectation
or waiting to happen, it is as the fear of getting old.
The overlapping between Justice Circuit and courage circuit
occurs when there is a feeling of extreme cowardice,
that leads the person to humiliation, or at his rashness will
leads him to arbitrariness. In both cases, he goes far from
courage virtue and justice virtue. Then, he goes far from
moral health and get close to its vices. The remedy will be
by going to the opposites. For example, the feeling of fright
treated by enraging the internal silent power of anger, like
firebrand you need to blow in order to take fire.
You need courage to overcome his fears, without getting
so far, otherwise he will stay away from the health of body
and soul.
By the way, many people are able to reach to this courage
especially in some situation such as flight, they get used
to these risks associated with this situation by let the power
of anger take actions; that is the moral health.
Those who fear from getting old, the remedy is to love
their senility as their love to their youth. Has to discipline
himself that senility is not an illness, but his activities will
decreased and his teeth may fall down (grinding tools, as
Ibn Miskaweih called it) and it bring him near to God.
Others fear from death, Ibn Miskaweih define death:
“Death is no more than soul leaving to its tools which
are the organs which is called body”
If we are worried by the pain involved in dying, then it
is the pain we fear, not death itself. The remedy is by showing
that pain is correlated to the body that contains the
soul, if soul does not exit, there is no pain or fear.
To explain what is the difference between the soul and
body, Ibn Miskaweih explained accurately “The soul is immaterial
essence.. unable to get damaged”
This essence will depart from this body, where the essence
didn’t die but its attributes may changes or removed,
like water if it becomes vapors then the essence of water
is still the same but its attributes has changed or removed
totally. So, the remedy of fear is to believe in life and hope,
and to avoid thinking in bad things.
In a beautiful way, Ibn Miskaweih connected this dialectical
issue. He found that scientist and wise people leave
ignorance by educating themselves, because they know that
ignorance is a chronic disease. The moral health needs to
remove this chronic disease.
According to the first circuit which is “Courage”, All
other circuits and their centers are approached which are
chastity, Wisdom, and Justice.
Conclusion
We can conclude the following:
1. Ibn Miskaweih get benefit of the Greek Culture
throughout Aristotle and Galen besides his study to Islamic
philosophy along with Kindi and Farabi. He also
depends on The Holy Qur’an and prophetic traditions
in phrasing its scientific essays. He uses a high literary
style.
2. Through the moral health and physical health will reach
the four virtues, which are courage, chastity, wisdom,
and Justice.
3. Moral health separate two contradictory, one opposite
is discovered from the other.
4. Ignorance is a chronic moral disease, it is the base of
any disease.
5. All what is learned (instructions, rules, scientific bases
lead to the moral and physical health) by Ibn Miskaweih
are related to “neuro-Linguistic programming”,
ISHIM 2011-2012
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