Etika Epistemik dalam Tradisi Pesantren: Membaca Tanbihūl Mutta’allim melalui Lensa Behaviorisme

Abstract

The pesantren tradition has long regarded adab (ethical conduct) as a fundamental prerequisite in the transmission of knowledge. The classical text Tanbihūl Mutta’allim by KH. Achmad Maisur Sindi Al-Thursidi systematically documents the ethics of learning within this tradition. This study aims to: (1) identify the principles of adab in the chapter al-adab ma’a al-‘ilm; (2) map their alignment with key behaviorist concepts (stimulus-response, reinforcement, punishment, and habit formation); and (3) explain how the mechanisms of adab formation can be operationalized through a behaviorist lens. Employing a library research method with a hermeneutic approach, this study finds significant convergence between the adab system articulated in the text and the foundational principles of behaviorism, as both shape behavior through structured repetition, consistent consequences, and a conducive learning environment. Nevertheless, adab in the pesantren tradition cannot be fully reduced to behaviorism, as it is grounded in spiritual dimensions namely murāqabah (the consciousness of divine observation) and sincerity of intention that transcend the explanatory scope of classical behaviorism. Both approaches are thus complementary: behaviorism contributes procedural clarity and behavioral measurability, while pesantren ethics contributes spiritual depth and an other-worldly orientation.