“We Must Compete With Angels in Goodness”: Translating a Theist’s Account of Flourishing in Medicine
Sami Ahmad, Pittsburgh, PA
Among the ailments of medicine today is the demoralizing split between "professionalism" and physicians' personal piety. Emerging programs such as the Kern National Network address aspects of this demoralization, drawing on Aristotelian philosophy to promote human flourishing in medicine. Yet, critics suggest that such programs could be strengthened if integrated with religious communities. Indeed, the intake of Greek philosophy empowered the medicine of medieval Jews and Muslims, a now-marginalized tradition that could guide integrative efforts today.
To access that tradition, this presentation will highlight my original English translation of To Flourish Through A Life in Medicine by Ali ibn Ridwan (d. 1061). Ridwan, an autodidact who became Chief Physician of Fatimid Cairo, orients his peers and medical students to the conditions for sa’ādah (سعادة = Flourishing/Happiness/Felicity/Bliss). He first warns against the vanity of greed, calling the reader to an ascetic life of serving the sick for God’s sake. Next, he offers an anthropology that emphasizes the status of human beings as the summit of creation, endowed with moral agency and intellect. Accordingly, Ridwan cites Hippocrates and Aristotle to affirm the excellence of pursuing khayr (خير = The Good) and contemplating haqīqah (حقيقة = Truth/Reality/Essence). In other words, human purpose is most fulfilled by sound engagement in practical and speculative philosophy, and, echoing Galen, he concludes: “the best of philosophers is the physician, who spends part of the day exerting himself in the practice of medicine; he spends the rest of the day engaged in good deeds, reflecting upon THE DIVINE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH (7:185), in devotion to God, and in the service of his intellect.” Framed as such, doctoring can deepen one’s relationship with God to earn His eternal loving reward, which, in the Islamic worldview, is the very basis of flourishing.
As a window into the past, Ridwan's text offers wisdoms of enduring relevance for reflection and implementation by theists in medicine today. I will argue that his approach models the integration of personal, professional, and pietistic identity lost in medicine today. Ultimately, Ridwan’s framework can help incorporate religion into flourishing programs, and guide physicians to experience the fulfilling union of faith and medicine.
To access that tradition, this presentation will highlight my original English translation of To Flourish Through A Life in Medicine by Ali ibn Ridwan (d. 1061). Ridwan, an autodidact who became Chief Physician of Fatimid Cairo, orients his peers and medical students to the conditions for sa’ādah (سعادة = Flourishing/Happiness/Felicity/Bliss). He first warns against the vanity of greed, calling the reader to an ascetic life of serving the sick for God’s sake. Next, he offers an anthropology that emphasizes the status of human beings as the summit of creation, endowed with moral agency and intellect. Accordingly, Ridwan cites Hippocrates and Aristotle to affirm the excellence of pursuing khayr (خير = The Good) and contemplating haqīqah (حقيقة = Truth/Reality/Essence). In other words, human purpose is most fulfilled by sound engagement in practical and speculative philosophy, and, echoing Galen, he concludes: “the best of philosophers is the physician, who spends part of the day exerting himself in the practice of medicine; he spends the rest of the day engaged in good deeds, reflecting upon THE DIVINE KINGDOM OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH (7:185), in devotion to God, and in the service of his intellect.” Framed as such, doctoring can deepen one’s relationship with God to earn His eternal loving reward, which, in the Islamic worldview, is the very basis of flourishing.
As a window into the past, Ridwan's text offers wisdoms of enduring relevance for reflection and implementation by theists in medicine today. I will argue that his approach models the integration of personal, professional, and pietistic identity lost in medicine today. Ultimately, Ridwan’s framework can help incorporate religion into flourishing programs, and guide physicians to experience the fulfilling union of faith and medicine.