Numerah Bazme
Comparing and contrasting two aspects involves finding similarities and differences between them. Western thoughts and Islamic perspectives are also compared to understand various concepts between these vast civilizations, and to enhance one’s knowledge of the nature and behavior of people who adhere to them. This article discusses three essential concepts of Human Nature, Human Motivation, and Free Will vs. Determinism in the light of Behaviorism, under Western Thoughts and the Islamic Perspective overall.
Behaviorism (founded by John Watson) is defined as a psychological viewpoint which stresses scientific and objective methods of investigation. A behaviorist’s approach is only on stimulus-response behaviors that are all taken by the environment.
Human Nature
To begin with, behaviorists’ approach to human nature is merely limited to human behavior. Watson rejected the notion that human nature consists of innate character, talent and temperament and that an infant’s decisions (as they grow up) and nature revolve around one’s guardian.
Human nature in Islam is explained in a very distinct way and the origin of human beings plays an important role here. Human beings are given a sense of responsibility and individuality from the beginning, as Allah ordered the angels to bow down in respect to Adam (PBUH), who is considered the first human being. Contrary to behaviorism, human beings are considered valuable with regard to their ability to comprehend, reflect and worship their Creator, Allah.
The concept of Fitrah in Islam also serves to explain human nature. Unlike behaviorism, fitrah refers to a compass in human beings that leads them to acknowledge the true oneness of Allah and His existence. Another gift from Allah is that humans come to this world pure and free of sin.
Human Motivation
Motivation is defined as the purpose behind a behavior and, particularly, something achieved in a certain way. The topic of motivation has interested humanity for ages from a variety of fields. Writing on behaviorism, behaviorists believe that motivation is obtained externally, not innate. It is a learned experience which can be increased or decreased by external factors. Natural factors such as emotions are not totally ignored by behaviorists but their acceptance is limited to fear, anger and felicity.
With regards to humans being good or bad, they adopt a neutral stand, stating that good or bad behaviors are learned through the environment and social learning. Another motive that drives behavior is offering incentives. Incentives are external factors that influence a person to behave in a certain way to gain them. Students, for example, study to earn a certificate that encourages them to invest more time/effort in their studies. Incentives also repel the individual and persuade them to avoid certain results. Students may not just study for a certificate, but also to avoid a low grade/ embarrassment in front of faculty.
Human motivation in Islam comprises internal and external components. It is related to worship in Islamic Psychology as Allah says in Chapter 51, verse 56, ‘And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.’ Worship of Allah is considered to be the origin of motivation for all human activities. Believers are promised abundant rewards for their good deeds, and to achieve that, they work towards perfection and virtue.
Intention behind any act plays a vital role in a believer’s life, such that anything they want to attain should be done to please Allah and to renounce forbidden acts. Fearing Allah and avoiding forbidden deeds leads to behavior that makes a believer feel pleasant in return. Similar to behaviorism, rewards and punishments compose the Islamic system and many rewards and punishments mentioned in the Quran are delayed, not immediate. This concept is also called “delayed gratification” in modern terms. As mentioned above, rewards are promised for good doers and punishment is for disbelief and immoral behavior. Many verses in the Quran and narrations of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) about paradise and hellfire reflect this vividly.
Even if behaviorism did not completely reject the spiritual aspect of human lives, it relies more on scientific notions and, unlike the Islamic model, does not include the human soul as an essential part of human nature and motivation.
Free Will vs Determinism
Free will is the power of a human being to choose between a variety of options without any restriction in their choice. Any action, moral or immoral, praiseworthy or sinful, is completely up to the individual, whereas determinism holds that all these choices are determined by preexisting forces.
Concerning behaviorism, behavior is a result of external forces which means it is determined. At times, it is activated in response to an external stimulus, or it is voluntarily let out by a person. In essence, behavior is a reaction and it is the opposite of free will.
Moving to the Islamic perspective on free will, several verses in the Quran indicate that human beings are given free will (limited, not absolute) by Allah and can choose their actions and belief systems. It is considered an honor for the human species, which sets them apart from the angels.
Allah has granted humans the authority to think and reason, which is essential for accountability, as they would not be held accountable without the capacity to distinguish between good and evil. This would be considered unjust, and Allah is never unjust. Another concept entwined with free will and accountability is divine decree. Islam states that human beings shall not be held accountable for what is decreed, but rather for the choices they make. To sum up, the general concept is that divine decree is not to be used as an excuse for what people do; what is beyond their capability is attributed to divine decree.
Finally, we are grateful for the guidance of intellectual concepts provided in Islam by Allah (SWT) that is far better than any man-made ‘ism’.