INTEGRATING IBN MISKAWAIH’S CHARACTER EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORISTIC PSYCHOLOGY: A SYNTHETIC FRAMEWORK FOR MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Character education in the 21st century faces a significant gap between moral knowledge and ethical action, often stalling at a purely cognitive level. This study aims to formulate an integrative pedagogical model by synthesizing Ibn Miskawaih’s classical ethical philosophy specifically his concepts of malakah and al-adah with the behaviorist psychological theories of Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, and Clark Hull. Utilizing a qualitative-descriptive approach through a philosophical literature review, this research analyzes primary texts, including Tahdhib al-Akhlaq, alongside foundational behaviorist literature. The findings indicate a profound functional alignment between Miskawaih’s systematic habituation and modern conditioning mechanisms. The study reveals that behaviorism provides the empirical hardware to transform abstract virtues into measurable, automatic behavioral responses. Furthermore, the research repositions the educator as an environmental architect who designs moral ecosystems through strategic stimuli and reinforcement. However, the integration necessitates Islamic ethical filters, such as niyyah (intention), to ensure that behavioral changes remain anchored in spiritual sincerity rather than becoming merely mechanistic. This synergy offers a robust methodological framework for cultivating moral integrity that is both observable and spiritually deep in the contemporary era.