Psychological Perspectives on Human Nature: A Comparative Analysis of the Thoughts of Ibn Khaldun and Sigmund Freud


Authors

(1) * Faiqotul Himmah   (Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, Indonesia)  
        Indonesia
(2)  Achmad Khudori Soleh   (Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, Indonesia)  
        Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Understanding human nature remains central to contemporary psychology because human behavior emerges from the interaction of inner motives, morality, and social influences. This study aims to compare the psychological conceptions of human nature developed by Ibn Khaldun and Sigmund Freud and to examine their relevance for contemporary psychological discourse. Using a qualitative comparative-conceptual design, data were collected through document analysis, literature review, and semi-structured interviews with six academic informants consisting of psychology lecturers, Islamic thought scholars, and postgraduate students. The analysis followed data condensation, reduction, display, and verification procedures. Findings indicate that Ibn Khaldun conceptualizes the soul through three developmental levels shaped by fitrah, moral cultivation, and social environment, whereas Freud explains personality through consciousness, unconscious processes, and the id-ego-superego structure. The study’s novelty lies in integrating classical Islamic thought and psychoanalysis within one analytical framework. These findings encourage more plural and integrative psychological models of human behavior for future research and practice.



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