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