Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
10.22108/coth.2026.147933.2091
Abstract
The medical approach to ethics, rooted in Greek philosophy and Galenic medicine, was systematically developed in Islamic civilization by Thābit ibn Sinān ibn Thābit ibn Qurra (d. 365 AH). Using a descriptive‑analytical method and a theological perspective, this article examines the medico‑ethical foundations of his thought based on Tahdhīb al‑Akhlāq. From an Islamic theological viewpoint, moral refinement (tahdhīb) is not merely a psychological process but a spiritual journey toward nearness to God. Thābit ibn Sinān’s system is grounded in three theoretical principles: the influence of bodily temperament (mizāj) on psychic states, the theory of the tripartite soul (rational, irascible, and concupiscent), and the profound interdependence of body and soul. At the core of this framework lies the belief that body and soul form an integrated unity within divine creation; hence, human beings, created for divine vicegerency, require the health of both dimensions to fulfill their purpose, and unilateral treatment remains insufficient.Building on these foundations, Thābit ibn Sinān proposes a three‑stage practical methodology: diagnosis, prevention, and therapy. Diagnosis involves distinguishing manifest from latent moral diseases through symptoms, actions, and analysis of bodily, psychological, and composite causes. Prevention is prioritized over treatment and includes maintaining temperamental balance, disciplining psychic faculties, regulating environmental factors, and guidance by a sincere advisor. Therapy follows the principle of “treating disease with its opposite,”supplemented by gradation, repetition, psychic abstinence, and patient cooperation. This integrated system illustrates the convergence of medicine, ethics, and theology in Islamic civilization and offers valuable insights for contemporary Islamic psychology and applied ethics
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