Solving the Gap between Science and Ethical Practice through the Qur'anic Doctrine of the Structure: Emphasis on Applied Ethics

The problem of the gap between science and ethical practice has long been dealt with by religious instructions as well as by many philosophers and scholars. Socrates and Plato regarded knowledge the same as virtue, and believed that if man possesses the knowledge of good and evil, that would suffice him to avoid evil and to perform good deeds. Aristotle did not agree with them. He believed that weakness of the will creates a gap and distance between knowledge and practice. According to Aristotle, correct instruction and good habit making do not suffice to fill the gap between knowledge and moral practice. Some theologians, however, believe that faith can solve the problem. They propose that performing good deeds and avoiding evil conducts, require faith in God as well as mastery in knowledge. If knowledge comes with faith, it leads to practice; otherwise, it fails. This descriptive-analytic research is aimed at providing a solution to the problem of the gap between theoretical and applied ethics. It has led to the idea that, ignoring minor exceptions and seeking to present an ethical and anthropological rule, the structure of man, which is the product of genetic traits, training, and the environment, is the most influential factor on human performance. Anything which is practiced in childhood and adolescence through training, and has turned into a habit will never leave man up to his death. As a result, we can look for a solution to fill the gap between knowledge and practice in the genuine structure of man.