Ethics & Training
By Ayatullah Shaikh Makarem Shirazi
Is it possible to alter individuals'
morality and mentality through training?
This is the question, which clarifies
the position of ethics, because if we accept that morality and mentality
of individuals depend on the structure of their body and soul, ethics
will be vain and purposeless. But if we accept that it is changeable,
the importance and value of this science is manifested well.
Some of the scientists have accepted
the first possibility and believe that as some of trees bear bitter
fruits, and as a gardener can not change their nature, mentality of the
lowborn and impure-hearted will not be changed through training and even
if it is changed, it will be very transitory and superficial, and will
soon be restored to its first mode! They suggest that structure of body
and soul has a close relation with morality, and in fact morality of
each person depends on the disposition of his soul and body, and for
this reason, it is not changeable. They cite as a proof the traditions
like:
The people are like the mines of gold
and silver.(1)
In contrast to this attitude, majority
of scientists believe that morality and mentality of individuals is
completely alterable through training. A great deal of experiences on
the immoral persons has fully proved this reality that a lot of wicked
and vicious individuals are perfectly corrected by a "healthy
environment", "good association" and "high training". Otherwise, all of
divine instructions of prophets and religious leaders were cancelled,
because all of them are concerned with training men's souls. On the
other hand, all punishments having a corrective aspect, being common
among all nations throughout the world, were vain and ineffective! We
see that even fierce and wild animals are domesticated through training,
and are used for the purposes against their original disposition. How we
can believe the ill-humor in men to be more rooted than ferocity of wild
animals!
We believe that the best way for
proving this claim is studying the procedure of formation of a "moral
habit" in a bid to find the way of eradicating it in the same way it is
formed. We know that every good or bad action leaves a similar effect in
man's soul and "attracts" man's soul to it. Practice and repetition of
the action increases this effect and gradually a feature called "custom"
is achieved and with more practice, it changes into "habit", and thus
man's interior tendency to performing that action is increased by
rooting of customs and habits. This reality is proved by experience.
Therefore, if moral customs and habits are formed through repetition of
an action, they are removable in the same way. That is to say first
"action", then "repetition" and then "formation of a moral attribute and
habit". Of course, suggestion, reflection, correct instructions and
healthy environment- which have a suggestive effect's are very effective
in predisposing soul for acceptance and formation of a good morality.
Ill humor is a
sort of disease
All of us know that man enjoys a
special and particular position among all living creatures, because his
personality is composed of antagonistic powers. In one hand, rebellious
sensual desires as well as animal instincts and inclinations invite him
to insolence, aggression to the rights of others, sensuality and
lechery, lie and treachery, and on the other hand, the powers of
intellect and cognition, humanistic affections and conscience call him
to philanthropy, chastity, honesty and virtue.
Struggle of these powers exists in all
men and relative dominance of one of these factors causes men to be in
completely different levels in view of humanistic values, and increases
the distance of man's "ascending" and "descending" curve. Once he
becomes superior to the nearest-stationed angels, and once he becomes
more inferior to the most dangerous predator animals!
This fact is also deduced from several
traditions. For instance, Imam Ali A.S. says:
God granted to the angel only
intellect, without lust and wrath, and gave to the animals only lust and
wrath, without intellect, but ennobled man to granting all of these. So
if his lust and wrath are controlled and ordained by his intellect, he
will be superior to the angels, because he has achieved such station
despite of existence of an opposing power.(2)
But it should be noted that instincts
and dispositions and lusts in an original, natural and balanced form not
only are not harmful, but also will be essential means for continuation
of life. In other words, as no useless and idle limb is created in the
structure of man's body, any incentive, instinct and disposition has a
vital role in the structure of his spirit and soul, and only in case of
deviation from normal condition and disturbance of the balance, they
will appear dangerously and fatally.
For instance, who can deny the role of
"wrath" in man's life? Suppose when the rights of a person are
transgressed. If all of reserve powers of his body are not excited and
mobilized thanks to the wrath, is it possible for him to defend his
rights in a composure mood, in which he may not utilize more than one
tenth of his reserve powers? But when this anger and wrath is deviated
from its main path, and is not any more a powerful tool under control of
intellect, it alters man into a fierce animal who does not recognize any
boundary.
In addition, the role of man's moderate
desire to wealth, rank and such like in more attempts for development
and progress is as obvious as the destructive effect of Mammonism and
ambition that is extravagance in these desires. Thus, as disturbance in
corporeal balance is always accompanied with undesirable results called
"disease", disturbance in balance of spiritual powers and instincts and
desires too is considered as a sort of "mental disease", and ethics
scholars call it "heart-sickness". This concept has basically originated
from Holy Quran that has considered hypocrisy of a hypocrite as a
disease, where it says:
In their heart there is a sickness and
God has increased their sickness (due to their evil deeds).(3)
Purification of
carnal soul or the greater warfare
Calling purification of carnal soul as
"the greater warfare" suffices for its importance, and this
interpretation is derived from the famous tradition in which Prophet
S.A. told to the warriors of his companions after returning from one of
the battles:
Bravo to the crowd who performed lesser
warfare and the greater warfare is still left undone. They told: what is
the greater warfare? He answered: warfare and conflict with rebellious
sensual desires.(4)
This phrase too is narrated from the
Prophet following this tradition:
The highest warfare is warfare with
rebellious desires, which are inside man's chest.(5)
This statement can explain Islam's
logic in this critical issue and after studying and reviewing, following
facts are found out thereof:
1- There are always antagonistic powers
in man like a battlefield, and destiny of man depends on the dominance
of one of these two parts of powers.
2- This warfare is called "the greater warfare" since it is an eternal
and unceasing one. Moreover, an internal battle is always more dangerous
than an external battle, and more important, defeat in this warfare has
no result save misery and misfortune, while defeat in common warfare may
result in acquiring the honor of "martyrdom". That is to say, warfare
with external enemy has never a real defeat, but there is a high
possibility of defeat in inner warfare.
3- Although this warfare is painful, it is the code of man's perfection,
because perfection is usually the outcome of conflicts and struggle of
"negative" and "positive" powers, and this is the reason why man does
not become experienced and trained unless he is involved in the events
and struggles with problems as Imam Ali A.S. says: The wood of forest
trees (which are always exposed to a lot of incidents) is more strong
and their fire is more durable.
And herein the mystery of creation of these antagonist powers and
sensual desires is manifested.
4- Warfare with outward enemy may occasionally be performed for material
purposes (collecting booties or achieving fame and such like), but inner
warfare will be always for gaining perfection and achieving virtue. So
overcoming therein indicates decision, will and belief power as well as
prominence of ambition and greatness of man's personality.
Prosperity and
happiness
Ethic scholars have mentioned
prosperity and happiness as the final end of ethics. This is the same
reality that all men are always trying and struggling for achieving it,
and are often complaining and inconvenient for not gaining it.
What is prosperity?
We can define prosperity in one short
phrase: gaining any possible perfection that man has capacity and
competence for achieving it, and in other words, correct utilization of
different material and spiritual powers being available for man.
But since to the same extent that "perfection" and "utilization" are
clear in view of general sense, they are ambiguous and complicated in
view of partial concepts, most often people have mistaken the path of
prosperity so that for example, one egoist rich man, who has exchanged
the heartsease and relief of his spirit and body with accumulation of a
massive wealth, may consider himself prosperous, while his capricious
child, after death of father, deems scattering of this wealth for
satisfaction of his lusts as prosperity, and in the meantime both of
them are wrong.
Anyway, herein we shall recognize man's real perfection and correct way
of utilizing these material and spiritual favors, although this
recognition may need a great deal of study and inconvenience.
Does prosperity
have only a spiritual aspect?
A number of Greek ancient philosophers
like Cynics believed that prosperity has only a spiritual aspect and
whatever corporeal and material condition may be, it does not have the
least effect on man's prosperity, and therefore considered acquiring
moral perfection and virtues as the only way of prosperity. Rather, they
believed that absolute prosperity for man would not be possible in this
world and as far as the spirit is connected to this material body, and
tainted to corporeal impurities, it is deprived from real prosperity.
Only when it is disconnected from body, it may achieve absolute
prosperity. On this end, they spurned and neglected all material
affairs.
The conditions of Dewjanse, the famous
physician of Cynics, and his life in a jar! Instead of house and room,
and his contentment to one drinking cup from all life facilities is
well-known. Even it is said that once he saw someone drinking water from
a water course with his hands, then he throw away that cup too!
Existentialists are on the opposite side to this idea and consider
prosperity only in unconditional utilization from material pleasures and
condemn any obstacle on this way! They assume absolute happiness only
through material pleasure and go ahead in this way till the threshold of
insanity, and practically disregard all social and moral limits and
habitudes for achieving it! It is obvious that we can not call this
ideology, which is unfortunately spread nowadays among some nations, a
doctrine. Rather, it is a sort of delusion and mental disease. However,
we can assume it a reaction to the extremist doctrines like Cynics who
have totally ignored corporeal aspects in prosperity.
Moderate doctrine: since man is not
merely a body or a soul, and the reality of his essence is composed of
two parts, he should seek prosperity too in the both parts and surely
any program focusing in one part of his essence, shall not guarantee his
prosperity, because it is not in conformity with the outward realities.
Among Greek philosophers, the first
teacher, Aristotle and his followers advocated this doctrine and Islam's
superior instructions have explicitly supported it, and have mentioned
new principles for it. This reality is reflected in Quran and sayings of
our great leaders, and motto of Islam in this regard is summarized in
the following verses:
Now some men there are who say: Our
Lord, give us in this world (good), but they have no part in the world
to come, and others say: Our Lord, give us in this world good, and good
in the world to come, and guard us against the chastisement of the Fire!
Those, they shall have a portion from what they have earned, and God is
swift at the reckoning.(6)
The point, which should be carefully
considered in such discussions, is that the relation and connection of
soul and body is so close that the effect of any deviation in one of
them is manifested in the other. Today psychoanalysis has proved that a
part of moral and mental deviations are caused by incorrect satiation of
corporeal and material instincts. Repressed desires and instincts always
emerge as mental complexes. Such complexes are a big problem for ethic
scholars, and removing them through the ways available for training
souls, usually is not possible. Rather, they should be treated in the
same way that are created, that is, physical instincts should be
satiated in a correct manner.
There are a lot of people suffering
suspicion, fear, jealousy, pride and hatred and such like vices and its
cause is deprivation and repression in correct satiation of their
physical instincts. Thus for being successful, now it is necessary for
all ethic scholars and mental trainers to consider both physical and
mental conditions for treating moral diseases.
Islam has studied this issue subtly and
explicitly says:
Say: Who has forbidden the ornament of
God, which He brought forth for His servants, and the good things of His
providings? Say: These shall be exclusively for those who believed in
this present life.(7)
And we read in aphorisms of Imam Ali
(a.s):
The believer's time has three periods:
the period when he is in communion with Allah, the period when he
manages for his livelihood, and the period when he is free to enjoy what
is lawful and pleasant.(8)
And this phrase is added to some
traditions:
"And the last part is tonic and
refreshing for the other parts."
Individual and
social morality
Some believe that all moral principles
return to the man's special social relations with others so that if
there was no society, and any man lived completely apart from the
others, and any individual lived unaware of existence of others,
"ethics" was basically meaningless because envy and jealousy, modesty
and pride, good opinion, justice and injustice, chastity, generosity and
stinginess, and such like are all strictly meaningful within the society
and contact of man with others. Thus man minus society will be
accompanied with man minus ethic.
But while confessing that most of moral
virtues and vices are concerned with social life of man, we believe this
could not be generalized. Because there are a great number of moral
cases which have only an individual aspect, and are true for a single
man too. For instance, patience or impatience for afflictions, bravery
or fear for events, endeavor or laziness in achievement to one's
objective, ignorance or attention to the creator of world, thanksgiving
or ingratitude for His endless favors and such affairs, which ethics
scholars have discussed them in ethical books and have called them moral
virtues or vices, could have an individual aspect, and are truthful for
one living completely isolated from the society. Hereof division of
morality into "individual morality" and "social morality" is clarified.
However, it is obvious that social morality is more important in ethics,
and man's personality focuses on it, although individual morality too
has a considerable part in respect to oneself.
Big mistake
It should be mentioned herein that
those who isolate from the society for purification of morals and
training their souls, secluding themselves and supposing that they can
achieve this great aim better in this way, are completely wrong. Because
they actually destroy the subject of social morality, and although they
avoid some vices in this way, but this is not really considered as a
virtue. It looks like the one who cuts his sexual apparatus for avoiding
adultery and lewdness. Although he is not tainted with unchastely, but
this will not be a virtue for him.
Moreover, experience has shown that isolation and seclusion from society
will cause a series of moral vices such as peevishness, suspicion,
vanity and conceit, and suspicion on divine predestination in man, which
will be illustrated in a separate discussion in detail.
So, Islam has encouraged Moslems to social life and even large cities
and recommends observance of moral principles in the heart of society to
man.
Way of treatment
of moral deviations
Now, we shall study details of "moral
virtues" and way of treatment of "moral vices". But two points are
noteworthy: First point: We shall always treat with those involved in
moral deviations like a patient, because as it was already referred,
moral deviations are in fact a sort of mental disease, which sometimes
result in physical diseases too, and or vice versa sometimes they
originate from physical diseases. Thus, we shall observe herein the same
principles which we observe in the treatment of physical diseases.
Second point: we always consider three principles in the treatment of
diseases:
1- Diagnosis of disease
2- Finding causes of disease
3- way of treatment of disease
We usually use symptoms and
consequences of disease for its diagnosis. Of course, this is a
relatively simple task in respect to physical diseases, especially with
existing facilities and equipment. But in view of moral cases, it is a
very complicated matter, because moral deviations often have similar
manifestations and symptoms, or there are some manifestations which are
caused by a mixture of several moral diseases, and their diagnosis
becomes difficult, and thus the ethics scholar and soul physician should
study this science patiently and carefully for treating himself or the
others.
For finding the causes of a disease,
one should also study carefully biography of the deviated person,
specially the backgrounds of his childhood period, which constitutes
foundation of man's personality, as well as his family and social
environment, his occupation and job and geographical area for
recognizing the causes of a moral disease. Even heritage should not be
ignored, because ill-humor (like physical diseases) is sometimes
inheritable.
And for treating moral vices, it should be noted that if they have
become chronic, they should be treated patiently and carefully and
vigilantly, and one shall never get tired by lapse of time. However, if
they are superficial and extrinsic, they will be treated in a shorter
period. For this reason, correction of moral vices of youths and
children is much easier than adults. Because the former are both tainted
and treated soon.
Imam Sadegh A.S. said:
Pay attention to the youths, who are
ready for quick acceptance of any goodness.(9)
Hygiene of
morality
It is also noteworthy that current
medicine is actually divided into two parts: "therapeutic medicine" and
"hygienic medicine". What is meant by therapeutic medicine is clear. But
hygienic medicine refers to preventing occurrence of diseases and
destroying their causes, and since preventing a disease is much easier
than curing it, hygiene has a precious importance in the life of
individuals and destiny of the societies. On this account, heavy budgets
are spent for it. These two parts exactly exist in moral cases and
mental diseases. So, we shall avoid occurrence of moral deviations as
far as possible, and try for hygiene of morality of ourselves and others
through adopting necessary counsels.
1- Avoiding
poisonous and suspicious associations
Surely, a lot of moral deviations are
caused by association, and just like contagious and epidemic diseases,
particularly in cases that mental condition is ready for acceptance of
morality of others, due to little age or little knowledge or weak belief
and such like, association with immoral individuals is a fatal and
noxious poison. It is seen in a lot of cases that destiny of a man is
completely changed due to association and thereby, direction of his life
is changed. Effects of association in correcting man's personality are
so significant that it is said for knowing anybody; we shall look at his
companion and friend. Imam Ali A.S. says:
When you are uncertain about someone
and do not know his religion, look at his friends.(10)
The Prophet S.A. says: A man has the
same religion of his friend and companion.(11)
Association with evil doers darkens
soul, and weakens moral sense, and reduces ugliness of evil deeds and
ill-humor, and it is interpreted as "heart death" in the traditions. The
Prophet S.A. says:
Four things extinguish heart ...,
including association with the dead. They asked: O God's messenger! Who
are the dead? He said: Lavish rich men.(12)
Association with evil doers stimulates
sense of suspicion in man and makes him pessimistic to everybody.
Imam Ali A.S. says: Association with evil doers causes suspicion on good
doers.(13) In brief, the issue of association is so critical that God
even premonishes His messenger from association with evil doers in
Quran. In contrary, association with good doers is one of the most
important means of training, purification and developing moral virtues
and reviving heart and acquiring personality. Islam emphasizes greatly
on association with good individuals and righteous doers. Holy Quran
says:
(And restrain thyself with those call
upon their Lord at morning and evening, desiring His countenance, and
let not thine eyes turn away from them, desiring the adornment of the
present life; and obey not him whose heart We have made neglectful of
Our remembrance so that he follows his own lust, and his affair has
become all excess.(14)
The Prophet S.A. says: The most
prosperous people are those who associate with good and honorable
people.(15)
2- Correcting
environment
Tainted environments, particularly
those in which display of sin and vice is popular, increase the risk of
involvement to moral vices, and this is an undeniable truth. Thus, one
of the actions for hygiene of morality is conflicting vices in the
environment and preventing display of sin and vice.
Basically, one of the most important hindrances for involvement in sin
and moral vice is the importance and greatness of vice and sin in view
of man and hating them. Display of moral vices and sins decreases its
importance in view of people and lessens its hatred and prepares soul
for accepting it.
And on this account, for renewing importance of sin in public opinion,
it is instructed in Islam to punish evil doers publicly and in presence
of people:
And let a party of the believers witness their (adulterer and
adulteress) chastisement.(16) Thereby, the significance of sin is
renewed for people and the barrier which was violated, is restored.
Islam has put a great emphasis on open sin and vice, and has assumed
immodesty and open debauchery as the causes of a person's defamation.
Imam Sadegh A.S. says:
Whenever an evil doer debauches openly,
is defamed.(17)
Imam Bagher A.S. says: There shall be
no respect for three persons: Innovator, unjust leader, and evil doer
debauching openly.(18)
Even narrating stories in respect to
vice and adultery which taints minds and prepares environment for
accepting vice, is forbidden in Islam's view.
Prophet S.A. says:
One, who hears an evil deed and
divulges it, is like the one who has performed it, and one, who hears a
good deed and divulges it, is like the one who has performed it.(19)
And as for fighting with physical
diseases, we shall first destroy centers tainted with microbe and purify
life environment and restrain contamination of air, water, food and such
like, it is necessary to purify social life environment from morality
deviation means.
3- Emigration
and escaping from tainted environments
We shall do our best for correction of
tainted and corrupted environments, but if, for any reason, it is not
possible to correct the environment, and there is the possibility of
being tainted in case of staying there, and we can emigrate to another
healthier place, there is no alternative save emigration.
The same is observed in most of physical diseases, when those interested
in their health immediately emigrate from the contaminated environment.
"Emigration" enjoys a special concern in Islam and it is interesting
that it constitutes the foundation of Islamic Epic. Emigration of
Islam's Prophet S.A. from Mecca to Medina was nothing else than escaping
from a tainted and unfavorable environment to a more favorable one for
spreading belief and virtue.
The emigrants at the beginning of Islam
enjoy a special privilege and prominence in Islam's history, and several
verses are found in Quran concerning them. Several traditions are
narrated in respect to emigration from parts tainted to sin and
polytheism towards healthy parts indicating importance of the matter. In
Majmaol Bayan interpretation under verse Whoso emigrates in the way of
God will find in the earth many refuges and plenty.(20)
it is narrated from Islam's Prophet S.A.:
Whoso emigrates for his religion from a
territory to another territory, although it may be as much as one palm
of land, deserves paradise and will be companion of Abraham and Mohammad
(two great emigrant prophets).(21) Emphasis is indicated by the phrase
"although it may be as much as one palm of land", and friendship and
companionship with these two great prophets is for their emigration.
Abraham A.S. departed from Babylon, the center of idolaters and Nimrod,
to Syria and Palestine, and Islam's Prophet from Mecca to Medina. In Ali
Ebne Abraham interpretation, under the verse: O My servants who believe,
surely My earth is wide; therefore Me do you serve!(22)
It is narrated from Imam Bagher A.S:
Do not follow sinful rulers and if you
fear of being deviated from your pure religion (do emigrate) because My
earth is wide.(23)
Not participating in sin and vice
meetings, which is mentioned in Islamic ordinances, and non-privacy with
strangers and such like are all considered as a sort of short term
emigration from sin and mistake and risk area, and surely it is for
preventing transmission of moral vices and not being tainted with sin.
References
1- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 61/65,
tradition 51
2- Naraghi, Jameossaadat 67/1
3- Cow sura (2), verse 10
4- Horre Ameli, Vassaelo Shiite, 122/11, narration 1
5- The same book, 123, narration 9
6- Cow sura (2), verse 200 to 202
7- The Heights sura (7), verse 32
8- Nahjol Balaghe, aphorisms, no. 390
9- Horre Ameli, Vassaelo Shiite, 447/11
10- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 197/74
11- Kolini, Kafi 375/2
12- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, volume 2, page 128
13- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 191/74
14- The Cave sura (18), verse 28
15- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 185/75
16- The Lights sura (24), verse 2
17- Horre Ameli, Vassaelo Shiite, 604/8
18- The same book, page 605
19- Horre Ameli, Vassaelo Shiite, 609/8
20- Women sura (4), verse 100
21- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 31/19
22- Spire sura (29), verse 56
23- Ali Ebne Ebrahim commentary, vol. 2, page 151 |