IQBAL’S CONCEPTION OF THE HUMAN BEING: A PHILOSOPHICAL COMPARISON WITH WESTERN THINKERS

Abstract

This paper explores Muhammad Iqbal’s conception of the human being through a comparative analysis with prominent Western philosophers, highlighting both philosophical resonances and contrasts. Central to Iqbal’s thought is the concept of khudi (selfhood), which emphasizes individuality, creativity, and moral responsibility as pathways toward the realization of the Insan-e-Kamil (Perfect Man). For Iqbal, the human being is not static but dynamically evolving—first as an individual, then as part of a community, and ultimately in proximity to the Divine. This evolutionary vision is grounded in Islamic metaphysics, yet it dialogues fruitfully with Western philosophical paradigms. The study compares Iqbal’s ideas with Nietzsche’s Übermensch, Goethe’s Faustian striving, Bergson’s élan vital, and Kant’s moral autonomy. While Nietzsche and Iqbal converge on the rejection of passive morality, Iqbal anchors empowerment in theism rather than secular will-to-power. Goethe’s emphasis on perpetual striving parallels Iqbal’s vision of self-becoming, though the latter integrates spiritual fulfillment. Bergson’s creative evolution finds echoes in Iqbal’s dynamic self, while Kant’s moral autonomy contrasts with Iqbal’s divinely rooted ethics and epistemology of revelation. The paper concludes by assessing the contemporary relevance of Iqbal’s vision in psychology, education, ethics, and inter-civilizational dialogue. In a world fragmented by materialism and moral uncertainty, Iqbal’s philosophy offers a holistic framework for human empowerment that harmonizes individuality with responsibility, reason with revelation, and human freedom with divine purpose.