This study analyzes and contrasts Sigmund Freud and Muhammad Iqbal's theories of personality. Freud viewed human nature as pessimistic and deterministic, driven by unconscious desires and instincts. He believed personality is shaped by conflicts between the id, ego, and superego. In contrast, Iqbal promoted positive ideas of human potential and free will. Iqbal's theory holds that personality develops as individuals assimilate God's divine attributes, strengthening their ego and bringing them closer to God. While Freud focused on human sexuality, Iqbal emphasized actualizing latent human powers to transform society for humanity's benefit.

1. Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak
Department of Fundamental & Inter-Disciplinary Studies
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
Poster
ID: 85
Iqbal’s Theory of Personality: A Contrastive
Analysis with Freud
IIUM Research, Invention and Innovation Exhibition 2014
Iqbal’s Theory on Man and Personality
To Iqbal, personality is the reflection of the Khudi/ Self of an individual through his mental attitude and behaviour. This reflection is the
outcome of the interaction of an individual’s ego with the environment/ nature, society, and the relationship with God. The dynamic
personality of an individual is the manifestation of one’s ability to realize, assimilate and actualize many of the Godly attributes found
within one’s psyche into his own personality. Iqbal’s theory of personality explains that man who is God’s best creation, needs to
assimilate into his own personality many of God’s attributes mentioned in the Asmā’ Al-Husnā (the Beautiful Names of Allah). Through
this process of assimilation, man can transform himself into a complete individual. What one sees as an end result of this assimilation
of the godly attributes in man is one that has strengthened and solidified his personality. In Iqbal’s view such an individual has
prepared his ego for immortality. According to him, the assimilation of God’s attributes by an individual prepares his ego for a state of
immortality after death. In his theory, Iqbal further stressed that the immortality of an individual’s ego is not a God-given right to him. As
such, in order to achieve the state of immortality of the ego, one has to work hard during this earthly life, performing all actions which
are considered as ego sustaining acts, and at the same time one has to refrain from all ego dissolving acts. Another interesting fact
stated by Iqbal in his theory of personality is that man by assimilating God’s Divine attributes gets closer to God spiritually. The closer
he is to God, the stronger is his personality. On the contrary, the further one moves away from God the weaker becomes his
personality (Iqbal,1983 &1996).
Conclusion
The study has indicated that all ideas said by Freud on human nature and personality are centered around his ideas on the human
sexuality. His concept on human nature is one that is pessimistic and deterministic at the same time. To him, man is an intellectual
beast who is doomed to fail as he is caught between the warring parties of his psychic components. However, Iqbal, who had a strong
religious background, promoted many positive ideas on man, and on the latent powers of the human psyche. His theory of personality
is not only dynamic in nature but inspires man to sink into his psyche to bring out all that are latent and positive residing in it. Iqbal
believed that by actualizing the hidden powers within man, he could transform this world into a better place for the benefit of all
humanity. This act, in turn, will bring one in close contact with God. Taken as a whole, his theory on personality gives man a dignified
position as the vicegerent of God (Khalīfatullāh fī al-Ard), who is able to create a better world.
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Introduction
This study in the area of philosophical psychology is a contrastive analysis on the personality theories that have been showcased to
the world by Freud and Iqbal. In analyzing the data pertinent to the study, the researcher has used the historical and content analysis
methods. As a prelude to the kernel of the research, the researcher has explored the historical and philosophical developments that
have taken place in the areas of human nature and personality in the West and Islamic world. The fact that both Iqbal and Freud
believed the inner dimension of man, particularly the ego, which plays a pivotal role in all human behaviours has drawn the interest of
the researcher to explore their concepts on the human psyche, and on how personality development takes place in individuals.
Through the contrastive analysis, it has come to light that Freud and Iqbal had conceptualized their theories on personality as a
response to the demands and challenges of their time. Besides that, factors like their personality, philosophy towards life, education
and their travels have influenced directly or indirectly their conceptualization of their theories.
Freud’s Theory on Man and Personality
As the founding father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) conceptualized his theory on man in a pessimistic and
deterministic manner. According to him, man is driven by two psychological forces otherwise known as Eros (life instinct) and
Thanatos (death instinct). This study has indicated that all ideas said by Freud on human nature and personality are centered around
his ideas on the human sexuality. To him, man is an intellectual beast who is doomed to fail as he is caught between the warring
parties of his psychic components. Freud believed man who has been controlled by his libidinal impulses should be un-socialized and
irrational in his behavior. Freud’s ideas on the id, ego and superego gives a clear-cut understanding that man undergoes endless
tension, stress, conflict, dilemma, chaos, and a whole range of other psychopathological illness due to the turmoil caused by the forces
that reside within the unconscious part of the human psyche. Freud explained that the human personality is empowered by the
psychic energy of an individual. Apart from that, he also believed that personality of an individual emanates as a result of the interplay
of the three psychological forces that are engaged in mutual rivalry to be the dominant force in the human psyche. The three forces of
the human psyche are the id, ego and superego. Freud was convinced through his clinical research that each and every individual in
life will be enslaved to his or her psychosexual developments in carving out his or her personality.
This research ‘Iqbal’s Theory of Personality: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud’ was published in March 2013, by
Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbrucken, Germany, 416 pages, ISBN: 978-3-659-33955-4. The book is available on
Amazon.com