Reorientations of Thought
Al-Ghazālī’s Moral Psychology - From Self-Control to Self-Surrender - Joel Craig Richmond
Joel Craig Richmond [+]
Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Joel Richmond is Assistant Professor Humanities and Social Sciences, at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
Description
Chapter four explains how self-control cannot be only limited to the physical restraint of bodily desires but must also encompass new directions of thinking and emotional reactions. The chapter provides a detailed analysis of intention, sincerity, repentance, hope and fear, the development of inward attention, and finally, the nature of the self as it is understood by al-Ghazālī and other thinkers. As with many books in the Revival, the ultimate aim is to move through various Sufi stations and attain nearness to God’s acceptance and presence, in both this life and the next. If we turn to al-Ghazālī’s methodology, we can gain a greater understanding of how the therapeutic reorientation of thought can lead the person to greater self-control.