University of Religions and Denominations
Abstract: (44 Views)
Abstract – This study aims to conduct a comparative examination of the Perfect Human and the methods of attaining perfection in the thought of Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi Rumi, the Muslim mystic, and Abraham Maslow, the prominent humanistic psychologist. The present research first explores the concept of the Perfect Human and its characteristics according to Rumi and Maslow, then investigates the paths to perfection, obstacles to growth, and practical solutions proposed by each thinker. Finally, using thematic and philosophical-conceptual analysis, the study compares the two perspectives.
While Rumi’s thought, based on a mystical and monotheistic worldview, regards the Perfect Human as one who transcends the self and annihilates in divine love to unite with the absolute truth, Maslow, within the framework of humanistic psychology, considers the Perfect Human as an individual who achieves personal excellence through self-actualization, realizing human potentials and peak experiences, grounded in freedom and personal responsibility.
The results indicate that although these two viewpoints differ in ontological, epistemological, and teleological foundations—one based on spiritual journey toward :union: with the Divine, and the other on the realization of the worldly self—they share emphases on overcoming egocentrism, the flourishing of higher talents, and the transition from superficial needs to meaning and transcendence. Moreover, Maslow’s concept of "peak experience" has a noteworthy affinity with Rumi’s experience of "unity and annihilation," which can be seen as a point of convergence between the two approaches in explaining the elevated dimensions of human existence.
This study’s findings, by clarifying the commonalities and differences between the concept of the Perfect Human and the paths to its attainment, provide a foundation for interdisciplinary dialogue and the integration of spiritual and psychological potentials from these two intellectual traditions.
While Rumi’s thought, based on a mystical and monotheistic worldview, regards the Perfect Human as one who transcends the self and annihilates in divine love to unite with the absolute truth, Maslow, within the framework of humanistic psychology, considers the Perfect Human as an individual who achieves personal excellence through self-actualization, realizing human potentials and peak experiences, grounded in freedom and personal responsibility.
The results indicate that although these two viewpoints differ in ontological, epistemological, and teleological foundations—one based on spiritual journey toward :union: with the Divine, and the other on the realization of the worldly self—they share emphases on overcoming egocentrism, the flourishing of higher talents, and the transition from superficial needs to meaning and transcendence. Moreover, Maslow’s concept of "peak experience" has a noteworthy affinity with Rumi’s experience of "unity and annihilation," which can be seen as a point of convergence between the two approaches in explaining the elevated dimensions of human existence.
This study’s findings, by clarifying the commonalities and differences between the concept of the Perfect Human and the paths to its attainment, provide a foundation for interdisciplinary dialogue and the integration of spiritual and psychological potentials from these two intellectual traditions.
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