POLITICAL THOUGHTTopic 1

INTRODUCTION- What is political

thought?- The Origins of Western

political thought?- Common themes in

political thought.- Comparing political

philosophers

REFERENCES:• Donald G. Tannenbaum and

David Schultz, Inventors of Ideas, An Introduction to Western Political Philosophy, UK: Thomson Wadsworth, 2004

• Lawrence C. Wanlass, History of Political Thought, London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

• J.C. Johari, Traditions of Political Thought, Bombay: Himalaya Publishing House.

Definition

• “It is a thought about the state, its structure, its nature and its purpose.”

• Examples:• “What you do if the

government passed a law that you thought was immoral?”

• “What convincing arguments you would use to try preventing your government to impose GST?”

Definition:

• It may include your thought about:– Justice– Good government– Good law– Equality– Liberty– corruption

Why ?

• To know the past– Awareness of heritage– Source of inspiration

• To create the future– Better future

Why?

“Sense of wonder” or “passion for wisdom”

• Human beings always have a higher purpose in life than mere existence or the satisfaction of physical (bodily) appetites

• It provides alternative way of understanding the world

• Examples:– How to reduce poverty?– How to stop terrorism?– How can freedom

flourish?

Common Major themes

(1)Philosophers consider the political crisis, or set of problems in their own time motivates them to write

Common Major themes

• (2) Each of the philosopher presented a personal methodology or method of thinking about politics:– View of reality– Definition of the world– Assumption about

society

Common Major themes

(3)They present their own views of human nature– Good or bad– Constants or

predictable?– Men or women are

same?

Common Major themes

(4)They present a version of the proper role of government in dealing with the crisis.– Economics– Religion– Education– Social class– family

How to compare Political Philosophers?

(1)Examining the similarities and differences in concepts;– Justice– Equality– Human nature

How to compare Political Philosophers?

(2)By grouping them according to consistent pattern:– Ancient– Medieval– Modern– Postmodern

• How?– The role of reason and

science in political philosophy

How to compare Political Philosophers?

• Ancient:– Plato to Cicero– Method of idealism;

abstract principles like justice, truth, virtue

• Medieval:– From St. Augustine

through the Middle ages– Religious faith; described

as theo-idealists, combining the ancient pagan idealism with Christian beliefs

How to compare Political Philosophers?

• The Moderns:– Machiavelli– Material values take

precedence over any interest in ideals or salvation which become apparent either through our senses by way of empirical knowledge or rational

– Such values as power, wealth, progress through scientific and technological discovery are the highest goals people can seek.

• Postmodern– Nietzsche– Critical toward reason– Urge us to criticize and

even reject everything that we have received from the past and to replace it with an ever-changing, ever-evolving approach that is fragmented, inconclusive,

Problem or questions of political thought….

– (1) STATE – As the most universal and most powerful social institutions.

– Men must investigate this institution to ensure their development:• To discover its origin• To uphold its authority• To dispute over the

proper scope of its function

Problems/questions of political thought

• Contest for supremacy between spiritual and temporal authorities.

• Monarchic and democratic theories• The extension of governmental regulation and control.• Origin of the state: divine theory, force theory, social

contract theory• Obligation to state authority: divine order, innate

political character of men, it secures greatest happiness of greatest number, consent of all, force (might makes right)

problems…

• Sovereignty: law, ruler, entire body of citizens, organs of government.

• Forms of government: single head, limited government, or widely distributed among the democratic masses.

• Proper scope of state activities: an individualism, paternalistic socialism.

• Relations among states: they owed no obligations to any except their people, equality of states, nature of treaties

Sources of Knowledge of Political Thought

• 1. writings of those political philosophers• 2. Study of the history of political institutions and of the actions

and policies of states• 3. A knowledge of the general intellectual background of each

period: philosophy, science, religion, ethics and economic.• 4.Writings and speeches of men occupying official positions in

government• 5. official documents of states: constitutions, statutes, ordinances,

court decisions, charters, departmental reports, treaties.• 6. Public Opinion• 7. Literature: poetry, fiction, drama

Muslim perspective…….Abdul Hamid A. AbuSulayman

• Issues……crisis of knowledge…..resulting from• Backwardness• Intellectual stagnation• Absence of ijtihad• Absence of cultural progress

Muslim…

• Reform our knowledge, culture and civilization…….ways:

• Rectify the relationship between divine revelation and reason manifested in our lines of thinking.• Redefine knowledge in a way that leaves no ambiguity

about concepts such as ijtihad and roles such as that of the faqih.• We must reorganize and reorient the methodology of

Islamic education and instruction in order to put an end to the confused dualism that divides knowledge into intellectual, social, religious and legal categories

Muslim…

• Islamization…..Political science…why?– It drawn little attention from Muslim scholars.– The existence of technical and unsystematic

methods of thought dominating Islamic studies– Those inadequate methods have failed to develop

a comprehensive vision capable of providing solutions and alternatives appropriate for the requirement of time and place to meet the challenges of progress, change and construction.

Muslim perspective….

• Example of case studies…..• Al-Khilafah• Syura• Conventional concepts : democracy, sovereignty,

separation of church and state

Muslim perspective…

• Suggestion: – the need for the Islamization of knowledge in

general and that of political science in particular. The first prerequisite in the process of Islamization is to have a clear idea of the reality of Islamic political studies