The Relevance of Ibn Miskawayh's Moral Education and Thomas Lickona's Character Education in the Context of Modern Education
Abstract
The moral crisis among the younger generation in the era of globalization and digitalization poses a serious challenge to the world of education. The decline in the internalization of ethical values, rising individualism, and weakening social responsibility highlight the urgent need to strengthen character education rooted in a solid philosophical foundation. This study aims to analyze and compare the concept of moral education according to Ibn Miskawayh with character education according to Thomas Lickona, and to examine its relevance in the context of contemporary education.
This research uses a library research method with a comparative-analytical approach. Primary data sources include Ibn Miskawayh's work Tahdzib al-Akhlaq wa Tathir al-A‘raqand Thomas Lickona's Educating for Character, supported by various relevant secondary literature. Data were collected through documentation techniques and analyzed using content analysis to identify the similarities, differences, and contextual implications of the two educational concepts.
The results show that both figures emphasize the importance of habituation, role modeling, and the internalization of virtues in character formation. However, Ibn Miskawayh focuses on the cultivation of the soul and the attainment of moral perfection based on Islamic ethics, while Thomas Lickona emphasizes the integration of moral knowledge, moral feelings, and moral action within a framework of universal values. The study concludes that integrating both perspectives can serve as a holistic and relevant model of character education to strengthen the moral development of students in contemporary educational institutions
References
Berkowitz, M. W., & Bier, M. C. (2014). Research-based fundamentals of the effective promotion of character development in schools. Journal of Character Education, 10(2), 1–18.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2007). Educational research: An introduction (8th ed.). Pearson.
Hursthouse, R. (1999). On virtue ethics. Oxford University Press.
Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. (2017). Penguatan pendidikan karakter.
Kemendikbud RI.
Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (4th ed.).
Sage Publications.
Lickona, T. (1991). Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. Bantam Books.
Lickona, T. (2013). Character matters: How to help our children develop good judgment, integrity, and other essential virtues. Simon & Schuster.
Miskawayh, I. (1968). Tahdzib al-akhlaq wa tathir al-a‘raq. Dar al-Ma’arif.
Narvaez, D., & Lapsley, D. K. (2019). Moral identity, moral functioning, and the development of character. Journal of Moral Education, 48(3), 1–15.
Nucci, L., & Narvaez, D. (2018). Handbook of moral and character education (2nd ed.).
Routledge.
Suyanto. (2018). Urgensi pendidikan karakter di Indonesia. UNY Press. Zed, M. (2014). Metode penelitian kepustakaan. Yayasan Obor Indonesia.
Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (2004). Building academic success on social and emotional learning. Teachers College Press.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nasikhin Nasikhin Muad, A. Samsul Ma'arif, Nur Arifuddin, Qurroti A'yun
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
