The Philosophy of Self

Qozoqboy Yoldoshev

and Ibobat Radjabov

Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Karshi State University, Karshi, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Identity, Humanity, Spirituality, Morality, Goodness, Freedom of Spirit, Freedom of Thought, People,

Country, Person, Goodness, Truth, Injustice, Justice, Education.

Abstract: This article explores Hazrat Alisher Navoi's philosophical and pedagogical perspectives on endowing human

life with a noble essence. It delves into the profound poetic musings of the brilliant creator, which emphasize

that self-realisation is the most challenging undertaking for an individual, and it expresses and analyses

reactions to these thoughts. Furthermore, the article discusses the thinker's beliefs concerning the stature of

humanity, our role as a substitute for God, and the importance of deserving such a position. It presents an

interpretation of the genius creator's ideas on the necessity for individuals to strive for good spiritual and

moral qualities commensurate with their dignity. The article also examines the conclusions of this great

scholar regarding the influence of genetic and biological factors, as well as education, in shaping the human

personality.

1 INTRODUCTION

The Trouble of Finding Identity humanity faces the

challenge of discovering its true identity amidst a

world that is incredibly diverse, colourful, complex,

and vivid. The world's differences surpass anyone's

imagination. Even a single leaf on a tree possesses

astounding perfection and completeness, leaving one

puzzled by the reasons behind it. Nevertheless,

humans persist in seeking the secrets of this unique

and intricate world, striving to understand its

principles of development, foresee its future, and

sometimes achieving partial success in doing so. As

this quest progresses, the human psyche becomes

increasingly intricate and vibrant, rendering the

diversity and complexity of the world insignificant.

Oddly enough, a person who believes they can

comprehend the entire universe may never fully

understand their own heart.

In truth, each individual embarks on a lifelong

journey to discover and understand themselves. This

task is more intricate than comprehending and

explaining the universe itself. Many people go

through life without ever truly finding themselves,

and some may not even realize they should undertake

Corresponding author

such a search. Hazrat Alisher Navoi eloquently

expresses this constant human struggle in the

following words:

"I have sought myself, but could not find,

How can others find me then?" [Alisher Navoi.

Navodir Ush-Shabab. 2013]

Even a genius like Navoi laments, acknowledging the

difficulty of others discovering him when he himself

remains unaware of his essence. A person can become

whole and beneficial to others only when they make

an effort to find themselves and connect with their

spiritual roots. Someone who is preoccupied solely

with their material needs is unlikely to benefit others

or even themselves.

Alisher Navoi's work can be seen as a product of his

endeavour to make people aware of their true identity.

Each of his works, whether extensive or concise,

reflects the profound thoughts of this great thinker on

the essence of the universe, humanity, and

individuals. Every masterpiece is born from intense

and agonizing contemplation about the nature of life.

Navoi's renowned translation, commencing with the

verse "Ketur soqiy, ul mayki, subhi alast...," mirrors

486

Yoldoshev, Q. and Radjabov, I.

The Philosophy of Self.

DOI: 10.5220/0012491000003792

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 486-490

ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3

the sentiments of a person struggling to find the

meaning of life in all its complexity and adversities:

Through these verses, the poet conveys the boundless

helplessness of a person yearning to fully

comprehend the world. Sometimes one strives for

knowledge and enlightenment to grasp the essence of

life, and at other times, one devotes themselves to

piety and obedience. Yet, the complexity of life and

the twists of destiny prevent the realization of their

ultimate purpose. The lyrical protagonist attempts to

understand the essence of the Sun through intellectual

prowess, but soon realizes that their understanding

falls short, unable to explain even a single particle of

light. Despite unwavering devotion, they come to the

realization that comprehending the universe's

meaning and their own purpose in this world remains

beyond reach. Profound knowledge and perfect

prayer do not provide answers. This realization leaves

them impatient, and they find themselves compelled

to tread a path filled with "May istarga singan safol"

and "xarobot aro oshufta hol."

2 METHODS

Cause or Consequence? Why is man so intricate, and

at the same time, why is he noble? Is man noble

because of his intricacy or is he intricate because of

his glory? Hazrat poses questions that many people

contemplate, but providing a definitive answer is

difficult. Upon reflection, one can grasp to some

extent the reason for man's grandeur. Most of the

countless creatures in the universe lack a body or soul

(for example, a stone); some lack either a soul or a

body (for example, wind and air); a number of

creatures have both a body and a soul but lack speech

(for example, animals). Only man possesses the gift

of speech. The fact that man was created as the

possessor of body, soul, spirit, and language is the

reason for his dignity. And more importantly, he is

the Xalifa of the Creator!

Alisher Navoi is a thinker-poet who compellingly

demonstrated in his works that the world is boundless,

indescribably sophisticated, beautiful, and refreshing.

The poet explains the elevation of a person's career

based on the logic of his creation. According to his

interpretation, man is not merely the result of the

universe's existence, but the reason for the universe's

creation. After all, man is an expression of Alloh’s

beauty, power, and wisdom. Alloh created man in his

own image.

It seems that Alloh created man to perceive his

greatness, power, and beauty through a clear mirror.

Among the innumerable creatures in the universe,

only man is adorned with the attributes of the Creator.

Otherwise, it would not be a mirror. Alloh desired to

see himself in the mirror - human form. Human

nature, heart, emotions, and thinking are formed in

such a way that they rejoice in all beauty and

goodness, are offended by any evil and vice, and can

resist the person who offends them with their hands,

tongue or tongue. Hence, they are elevated as a

substitute for Alloh, who was envisioned in their

creation and will be worthy of an honourable career.

Honourable responsibility. In accordance with the

body, soul, and spirit that constitute the human being,

the Creator endowed him with physical, emotional,

and spiritual qualities. Even the combination of these

qualities cannot make a person honourable by itself.

One needs the quality of humanity to control the

easily aroused passions and to develop the spiritual

aspects that require relentless jihad against the ego.

He will rise to the rank of a saint only if he can

overcome his weaknesses such as lust attacks and

inclination to pleasures and become the possessor of

high spiritual qualities. Therefore, a person needs to

purify his spiritual world to attain the level of

humanity.

Just as the tulip seed falls to the ground and becomes

smallpox because it sacrifices its shell, and the

cocoon becomes silk because it sacrifices its life, so a

person can rise and achieve the rank of humanity only

if he can overcome his ego and his hunger for

pleasure. Only Hazrat Navoi's unique talent can

describe such an abstract mental and spiritual

condition like humanity in such a tangible manner.

The reality of social life is that the more noble the

values on which a person relies, the more enduring

they become. Conversely, a society based on transient

spiritual values will decline. It depends on the

spiritual goals that each individual person, any

society, and the whole personality possess, along with

the moral qualities and direction of their thinking.

Changes in the system of values can first change an

individual person, and through them, the whole

society. Hence, a self-respecting person should be

concerned about the purity of spiritual examples.

Alisher Navoi emphasizes that the sorrow in a

person's heart is a great pain not only for this person

but also for others. For the lack of grief signifies that

a person has no thoughts about himself, no pain with

someone, and complete indifference to the fate of

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487

others. Therefore, the poet is saddened by this

sadness:

Ko‘ngil ichra g‘am kamligi asru g‘amdur,

Alam yo‘qlig‘i dog‘i qatig‘ alamdur [Alisher Navoi.

Navodir Ush-Shabab. 2013].

Sadness leads to indifference, indifference leads to

habituation, and habituation leads to inactivity. The

presence of apathetic and inactive people not only

makes their own lives dull but also depletes the lives

of others. Therefore, the poet urges a person to be

cheerful, patient, and steadfast. His words,

“Ko‘nglum g‘am ila to‘q ayla, yo Rab, Ishq ichra

meni yo‘q ayla, yo Rab!” [7], echo this invitation

expression. In these lines, his heart is filled with love

for Alloh and his most honourable creation, the

people, and his feelings of gratitude, which he did not

possess while embracing that divine love, are

reflected.

Any society desires the behaviour, outlook,

aspirations, and lifestyle of its members to align with

specific spiritual goals. The nature of a society

depends on the essence of those goals and the extent

to which people follow them. For an Uzbek,

spirituality entails more than just adhering to moral

norms; it becomes a matter of life and death. All the

positive changes that are planned to be implemented

can yield the expected results only when they become

ingrained in the hearts of individuals who possess an

exemplary spirituality. This is precisely why Alisher

Navoi perceives the homeland not merely as a place

of refuge, residence, and dwelling, but emphasizes

that the concept of homeland gains strength and

becomes truly valuable only when it becomes

entwined with the spirituality of the people of the

country.

The poet's sense of homeland is a profound and

multifaceted feeling. As a thinker, he does not

juxtapose the country against its fellow countrymen,

nor does he imagine the country in isolation from its

people, and he does not consider the country dearer

than a person. In his view, the country bears the

responsibility of bringing happiness to the people of

the nation. In the poet's eyes, if the concept of

homeland does not penetrate the heart and remains

outside the heart like a place made of soil, then the

inhabitants of the homeland can become strangers

within their own land, and they may suffer like him,

experiencing this challenging aspect of human

existence.

Navoiy, vatan bo‘ldi manzil manga,

Bu manzildan ammo ne hosil manga?– [Alisher

Navoi. Hamsa: 2013]

Alisher Navoi firmly distances himself from

materialistic views that create antagonism between

different social classes, suggesting that societal

development is ensured through class struggles.

While materialists believe that society should be

altered to elevate an individual, Navoi maintains that

to improve society, each person should reform and

better themselves. He believes that enhancing the

world starts with improving people. Any society

considers itself improved when its members mature

and attain a higher level of perfection. This

philosophical perspective highlights the significance

of spiritual and moral factors for an individual. A

person is the architect of both their own conduct and

the spirituality of the society in which they reside,

thereby bearing responsibility for their destiny and

the spirituality of their contemporaries. Perfection

and maturity always result from individual effort and

hard work. Failure to strive for maturity and eschew

hard work hinders progress. This explains why

individuals who grew up in the same conditions can

have varying personalities. Hazrat Navoi compares

this situation to the sun shining the same light upon

the desert and the garden, where a thorn grows on one

side, and a cypress flower blooms on the other side:

Garchi quyoshdin parvarish olam yuzig‘a om erur,

Sahroda qamg‘og‘u tikan, bo‘stonda sarvu gul butkay

[Alisher Navoi. 2013].

Emphasising the power of education, the poet uses a

vivid image that leaves a lasting impression to

describe the significance of a person's origin.

The great thinker expounds on this viewpoint in

"Mahbub ul-Qulub" as a philosophical-pedagogical

conclusion drawn from observing people's lives:

“Qobilg‘a tarbiyat qilmoq zulmdir va noqobilg‘a

tarbiyat hayf. Ani adami tarbiyat bila zoe’ qilma va

munga tarbiyatingni zoe’ qilma”.

Being a thinker who greatly values education, he

naturally appreciates the efforts of those who provide

education and training. In the chapter "In

Remembrance of the People of Dabiristan" from

"Mahbub ul-Qulub," he acknowledges the

challenging work of a teacher: “...har qattig‘ kishini

bir tifl muhofazati ojiz etar, ul bir surukka ilm va adab

o‘rgatgay, anga ne yetar?” No matter how strong a

person is, they often find it difficult to support their

own child, yet a teacher manages to teach science and

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manners to a whole group of such children. Hence, a

student always owes gratitude to their teacher:

“Shogird agar shayxulislom, agar qozidur, Agar ustod

andin rozi Tengri rozidur” [Alisher Navoi. Lison ut-

tyre. 2013. :467]. The genius poet reinforced his

original, distinct conclusion in the universally

renowned fard written in this manner.

These views of Navoi can be considered the

philosophical-theoretical basis of the national

education system. When the educational process is

organized considering the aspects noted by the great

thinker, a significant pedagogical effect can be

achieved. Education yields the desired outcome only

when it is based on sound methodological

foundations derived from the spiritual and moral

characteristics of the ethnic group.

Hazrat Navoi's work and creativity aim to make each

person as “odamiy” (human) as possible, i.e.,

spiritual, and are founded on the eternal, moral,

Shariah, and philosophical principles of the Holy

Qur'an and the hadiths. Consequently, the Turkic

nations encounter the products of Navoi's work at

nearly every stage of their lives.

As a person's humanity influences not only their life

but also the development of the society in which they

live, the process of developing humanity cannot be

overlooked. In addition to the innate spiritual

qualities bestowed by the Creator (Alloh), each

individual possesses moral qualities that must be

nurtured through education, so that all the healthy

forces of society contribute to cultivating these

qualities in a manner that promotes goodness to the

fullest extent.

Navoi regards education as a spiritual-pedagogical

tool with the capability to transform the bad into good

and the forbidden into permissible. He uses figurative

language to highlight that harnessing the power of

education appropriately contributes to a person's

spiritual and intellectual growth:

"Itga taallumda chu bo‘ldi kamol,

Sayd aning og‘zidin o‘ldi halol," [Alisher Navoi.

Khamsa: 2013.]

In these verses, the poet metaphorically implies that

what the mouth touches can be considered either

forbidden (haraam) and must be avoided, as the dog's

mouth is meant for hunting and what it bites becomes

permissible (halal). The unique poetic expression

reflects the potential consequences of one's actions

and the possibility of jeopardizing one's character.

Hazrat Alisher Navoi acknowledges that biological

and genetic factors alone are insufficient to determine

a person's good qualities. He emphasizes the crucial

significance of education in shaping an individual.

Just as fertile land requires planned cultivation by a

gardener to yield beautiful crops, so does a person

need education to attain their true humanity. The

importance of education in shaping a person's

humanity is expressed as follows:

"To raja chekmas yeriga bog‘bon,

Bog‘ hamon zebda, jangal hamon" [Alisher Navoi.

Khamsa: 2013.]

In unregulated land, trees growing on their own are

indistinguishable from a forest. Similarly, an

uneducated person may exist without attaining the

level of humanity.

By comparing the growth of the same trees and

flowers in a garden and on mountains, where those in

the garden flourish and create beauty, while those on

the mountains are regarded as firewood, Navoi

demonstrates the unmatched importance of education

in human life. In the garden, trees and flowers are

cultivated and nurtured by the gardener, resulting in

their beauty. In contrast, the wild trees and flowers on

the mountains grow disorderly and lack education,

hence being deemed worthless firewood.

3 DISCUSSION AND RESULTS

Navoi regards education as a spiritual-pedagogical

tool with the capability to transform the bad into good

and the forbidden into permissible. He uses figurative

language to highlight that harnessing the power of

education appropriately contributes to a person's

spiritual and intellectual growth:

"Itga taallumda chu bo‘ldi kamol,

Sayd aning og‘zidin o‘ldi halol," [Alisher Navoi.

Khamsa: 2013.]

In these verses, the poet metaphorically implies that

what the mouth touches can be considered either

forbidden (haraam) and must be avoided, as the dog's

mouth is meant for hunting and what it bites becomes

permissible (halal). The unique poetic expression

reflects the potential consequences of one's actions

and the possibility of jeopardizing one's character.

The Philosophy of Self

489

Hazrat Alisher Navoi acknowledges that biological

and genetic factors alone are insufficient to determine

a person's good qualities. He emphasizes the crucial

significance of education in shaping an individual.

Just as fertile land requires planned cultivation by a

gardener to yield beautiful crops, so does a person

need education to attain their true humanity. The

importance of education in shaping a person's

humanity is expressed as follows:

"To raja chekmas yeriga bog‘bon,

Bog‘ hamon zebda, jangal hamon" [Alisher Navoi.

Khamsa: 2013.]

In unregulated land, trees growing on their own are

indistinguishable from a forest. Similarly, an

uneducated person may exist without attaining the

level of humanity.

By comparing the growth of the same trees and

flowers in a garden and on mountains, where those in

the garden flourish and create beauty, while those on

the mountains are regarded as firewood, Navoi

demonstrates the unmatched importance of education

in human life. In the garden, trees and flowers are

cultivated and nurtured by the gardener, resulting in

their beauty. In contrast, the wild trees and flowers on

the mountains grow disorderly and lack education,

hence being deemed worthless firewood.

4 CONCLUSION

Spirituality means knowing oneself, examining

oneself through the eyes of others, and being able to

see others through one's own eyes. The more each

person knows themselves, the more they know God,

the creator of all existence. Therefore, the attention of

every individual and the whole society should be

focused on nurturing the spirituality of the country's

inhabitants on a sound foundation. The spiritual

growth of individuals forms the basis for societal

justice, and societal justice, in turn, establishes a high

level of spirituality, leading to the well-being and

happiness of individuals. Thus, the harmonious

relationship between the individual, society, and

spirituality remains the main driver of human

development. In this aspect, the achievements of the

great Navoi serve as an unparalleled weapon, the

correct utilization of which lays the groundwork for

significant spiritual victories. For this reason, it is

acceptable for the true descendants of the nation to

discard indifference and be moved by love for their

country. After all, Hazrat Navoi writes:

“Beishq ulusqa kom uyqu, Ishq ahligadir harom

uyqu” [Alisher Navoi. Hamsa: Layli and Majnun.

2013.:90]. Sleeplessness becomes a purpose, a

delight, and a dream for those whose hearts are

devoid of noble human sentiments, but it is forbidden

for people whose hearts are brimming with love for

truth, humanity, and justice. Hazrat's call for spiritual

awakening resonates with people of all generations to

remain vigilant.

REFERENCES

Alisher Navoi. 2013 An amazing cigar. TAT. 10 volumes.

- T.: Publishing house named after Gafur Ghulam,. J.1.

Alisher Navoi. Navodir Ush-Shabab. 2013 TAT. 10

volumes. - T.: Publishing house named after Gafur

Ghulam,. J.2.

Alisher Navoi. 2013 Badoe' ul-wasat. TAT. 10 volumes. -

T.: Publishing house named after Gafur Ghulam,. J.3.

Alisher Navoi. 2013.Fawaid ul-kibar. TAT. 10 volumes. -

T.: Publishing house named after Gafur Ghulam, J.4.

Alisher Navoi. Devoni Foni. 2013Revenge. Curriculum.

Khamsat ul-mutahayirin. TAT. 10 volumes. - T.:

Publishing house named after Gafur Ghulam,. J.5. g

Alisher Navoi. Khamsa: 2013. Hayrat ul-Abrar. Farhad and

Shirin. TAT. 10 volumes. - T.: Publishing house named

after Gafur Ghulam, J.6.

Alisher Navoi. Hamsa: Layli and Majnun. 2013. Sab'ai is a

traveler. TAT. 10 volumes. - T.: Publishing house

named after Gafur Ghulam, J.7.

Alisher Navoi. Hamsa: 2013.Saddi Iskandari.

Historiography and history. The history of Ajam. TAT.

10 volumes. - T.: Publishing house named after Gafur

Ghulam, J.8.

Alisher Navoi. Lison ut-tyre. 2013. Majolis un-nafois.

Mahbub ul-Qulub. Munshaat. Foundation. TAT. 10

volumes. - T.: Publishing house named after Gafur

Ghulam, J.9.

Alisher Navoi. Badoe' ul-bidaya. 1987. [ MAT. 20 volumes.

- Tashkent: Science, Vol. 1.

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