| Peer-Reviewed

Al Farabi and the Birth of Political Science in Islam

Received: 24 September 2021     Accepted: 25 October 2021     Published: 25 November 2021
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This article on Al Farabi seeks to introduce the reader unfamiliar with the political thought of classical Islam, to one of the most relevant political thinkers of the Golden Age of Islam. Al Farabi was called the "Magister secundus", that is to say the most brilliant mind after Aristotle. The depth of his intellect placed him as the most important thinker of his time and the second most important in all of history, according to the Europe of the Middle Ages. His book on the Virtuous City was ahead of its time with the proposition that rulers should seek the happiness of their subjects. The theme of happiness arrived to the universities, and some of the most prestigious ones founded their own Centers for Happiness. In fact, the theme became one of the main preoccupations of the international organizations. The General Assembly of the United Nations itself in its resolution 66/281, decreed back in 2012, March 20 to commemorate The International Day for Happiness, as a way to recognize the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal aspirations for all human beings. In addition, it puts political thought above religious thought because it is more scientific. Al Farabi managed to displace religious thought, relegating it to second place after political thought, the only one that allows reaching the truth. Religious thought does not seek the truth, but to establish immutable truths that are not based on scientific reasoning, but on faith. For this reason, we can consider that with Al Farabi, the Political Science is introduced in Islam. His legacy is so deep that after him, Political though in the Islamic World changed definitively.

Published in Science Development (Volume 2, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12
Page(s) 71-81
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Islamic Thought, The Virtuous City, Religious Thought, Magister Secundus, Happiness

References
[1] Abu Nasr Al-Farabi (1955). أراء أهل المدينة الفاضلة، (“Ara’ ahl el madinat el fadhilat”, [The virtuous city]), Baghdad, Dar al ‘Iraq.
[2] Abu Nasr Al-Farabi (2001). La ciudad ideal, Madrid, Tecnos.
[3] Farabi, Miguel Cruz Hernández and Manuel Alonso Alonso (1985). La ciudad ideal, Madrid, Tecnos.
[4] Saint Augustine (2009) La ciudad de Dios, Madrid, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos.
[5] Rodríguez, Paula. “Pensamiento de Epicuro de Samos” (July 29, 2019), consulted on August 20, 2021, from https://www.unprofesor.com/ciencias-sociales/pensamiento-de-epicuro-resumen-3529.html.
[6] Balanta Castilla, Nevis, Mirta Rocío Díaz Rodríguez and Nazly Vargas Hernández “El auge de las cátedras de la felicidad en la educación” (https://doi.org/10.14483/25905791.16449) in Revista Noria Investigación Educativa, vol. 1, num. 5 (2020), consulted on August 20, 2021, from https://revistas.udistrital.edu.co/index.php/NoriaIE/article/view/16449.
[7] Vergara, David (2008). Los Griegos y la Felicidad. Consulted on August 20, 2021 from http://davidvergaradc.blogspot.com/2008/03/aaa.html.
[8] Balanta Castilla, Nevis, Mirta Rocío Díaz Rodríguez and Nazly Vargas Hernández “El auge de las cátedras…”, p. 33.
[9] Happy Planet Index 2020 from http://happyplanetindex.org/countries, consulted on August 20, 2021.
[10] Balanta Castilla, Nevis, Mirta Rocío Díaz Rodríguez and Nazly Vargas Hernández “El auge de las cátedras…, p. 33.
[11] La Felicidad “El Instituto Coca Cola de la Felicidad”, January 10, 2010, consulted in August 20, 2021 from https://lafelicidad.info/instituto-coca-cola-de-la-felicidad/.
[12] Solodkin, Arle. “IBI (Instituto de Bienestar Integral), consulted in August 20, 2021 from https://www.institutodebienestarintegral.com/team/mtra-arlen-solodkin/.
[13] Mahdi, Muhsin (1969). Alfarabi’s Philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, New York, Ithaca Press and Shukri, Abed (1990). Aristotelian Logic and the Arabic Language in Alfarabi, University of New York Press.
[14] Marín Guzmán, Roberto (1985). “Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) y el método científico de la historia” in Revista Estudios, University of Costa Rica, July 1985, num. 6.
[15] Devictor, Agnés “La cité vertueuse d’Alfarabi” in Le Monde des livres, January 26, 2001, p. 6.
[16] Mahdi, Muhsin (2000). La fondation de la philosophie politique en islam. La cité vertueuse d’Alfarabi, Paris, Ed. Flammarion.
[17] Guerrero, Rafael Ramón (2001). Filosofías árabe y judía, Madrid, Ed. Síntesis, 2001.
[18] Al-Farabi, Abû Nasr (2008). Obras filosóficas y políticas, translation and edition from Rafael Ramón Guerrero, Madrid, Ed. Trotta.
[19] Mahdi, Muhsin (2010). Alfarabi and the Foundation of Islamic Political Philosophy, Chicago, Chicago University Press.
[20] Davidson, Herbert A. (1992). Alfarabi, Avicenna, and Averroes, on Intellect - Their Cosmologies, Theories of the Active Intellect and Theories of Human Intellect, University of California Press, Los Angeles.
[21] Cruz Hernández, Miguel (1957). “Al Farabi” in Historia de la filosofía española. Filosofía ispano-musulmana, Madrid, Asociación Española para el Prograseo de las Ciencias, pp. 73-104.
[22] Al-Farabi (1974). Kitab al musiqa al kabir [The Great book of music], Damascus, Arab Writers Editions.
[23] Corbin, Henry (1986). Histoire de philosophie islamique, París, Ed. Gallimard, 1986.
[24] “Al Farabi” in http://members.tripod.com/~wzzz/FARABI.html, consulted on October 20, 2019.
[25] Al Farabi (1932). El catálogo de las ciencias, edition from the Arabic text with two latin texts and Spanish traduction by Ángel González Palencia, Madrid, CSIC.
[26] Al-Farabi, Abû Nasr. (2001) L’Épitre sur l’intellect. Al-Risâla fî-l-‘aql, Paris, L’Harmattan.
[27] Al Farabi (1932). El catálogo de las ciencias, edition from the Arabic text with two latin texts and Spanish traduction by Ángel González Palencia, Madrid, CSIC, p. 8.
[28] Villoro, Luis (1982). Creer, Saber y conocer, Mexico, Siglo XXI, 1982.
[29] Al Farabi (1932). El catálogo de las ciencias, edition from the Arabic text with two latin texts and Spanish traduction by Ángel González Palencia, Madrid, CSIC, p. 42.
[30] Al Farabi (1932). El catálogo de las ciencias, edition from the Arabic text with two latin texts and Spanish traduction by Ángel González Palencia, Madrid, CSIC, p. 87.
[31] Bushmiller, Paul M. “Argument of Alfarabi´s Book of Religión” in Internet consulted in November 2018.
[32] Al-Farabi (2000). Book of Religion, translation Charles Butterworth, edition from Muhsin Mahdi, Madrid, Ed. Trotta.
[33] Al-Farabi (2000). Selected Aphorisms, translation, and edition from Charles Butterworth.
[34] Al-Farabi (1963). The Attainment of Happiness (trans. Mushin Mahdi) Col. Medieval Political Philosophy, Ed. Ralph Lerner & Muhsin Mahdi, Ithaca, Nueva York.
[35] Al Farabi (2000). Book of Religion, translation Charles Butterworth, edition from Muhsin Mahdi, Madrid, Ed. Trotta, p. 78.
[36] Al-Farabi (1992). Obras filosófico-políticas, Madrid, Edit. Debate-CSIC.
[37] Zeraoui, Zeraoui (2013). Islam y política. Los processos políticos árabes contemporâneos, Mexico, Trillas, Cfr. chapter 2.
[38] Bushmiller, “Argument of Alfarabi´s Book of Religión” in Internet consulted in November 2018, p. 167.
[39] Cfr. Abu Nasr Al-Farabi (2011). La ciudad ideal, Madrid, Tecnos. Muhsin (2000). Al Farabi and…, Op. Cit. Taib, Dalila (1997). “La Ciudad Ideal. Una lectura de al-Farabi” in Verde Islam, num. 6, year 3, Centro de Documentación y Publicaciones de Junta Islámica, Madrid.
[40] Al Farabi (1992). Obras filosófico-políticas, Madrid, Edit. Debate-CSIC, p. 89.
[41] Abu Nasr Al-Farabi (2005) كتاب السياسة المدنية (“Kitab al siyasa al madaniya”, [The book of the political government]), consulted in Noor Books, July 17, 2021, in https://www.noor-book.com/كتاب-كتاب-السياسة-المدنية-الملقب-بمبادئ-الموجودات- pdf.
[42] Fárábí, Miguel Cruz Hernández y Manuel Alonso Alonso (1985). Madrid, La ciudad ideal, Tecnos.
[43] Al Farabi (1992). Obras filosófico-políticas, Madrid, Edit. Debate-CSIC, p. 14.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Zidane Zeraoui, Luz Araceli Gonzalez Uresti. (2021). Al Farabi and the Birth of Political Science in Islam. Science Development, 2(4), 71-81. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Zidane Zeraoui; Luz Araceli Gonzalez Uresti. Al Farabi and the Birth of Political Science in Islam. Sci. Dev. 2021, 2(4), 71-81. doi: 10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Zidane Zeraoui, Luz Araceli Gonzalez Uresti. Al Farabi and the Birth of Political Science in Islam. Sci Dev. 2021;2(4):71-81. doi: 10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12,
      author = {Zidane Zeraoui and Luz Araceli Gonzalez Uresti},
      title = {Al Farabi and the Birth of Political Science in Islam},
      journal = {Science Development},
      volume = {2},
      number = {4},
      pages = {71-81},
      doi = {10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.scidev.20210204.12},
      abstract = {This article on Al Farabi seeks to introduce the reader unfamiliar with the political thought of classical Islam, to one of the most relevant political thinkers of the Golden Age of Islam. Al Farabi was called the "Magister secundus", that is to say the most brilliant mind after Aristotle. The depth of his intellect placed him as the most important thinker of his time and the second most important in all of history, according to the Europe of the Middle Ages. His book on the Virtuous City was ahead of its time with the proposition that rulers should seek the happiness of their subjects. The theme of happiness arrived to the universities, and some of the most prestigious ones founded their own Centers for Happiness. In fact, the theme became one of the main preoccupations of the international organizations. The General Assembly of the United Nations itself in its resolution 66/281, decreed back in 2012, March 20 to commemorate The International Day for Happiness, as a way to recognize the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal aspirations for all human beings. In addition, it puts political thought above religious thought because it is more scientific. Al Farabi managed to displace religious thought, relegating it to second place after political thought, the only one that allows reaching the truth. Religious thought does not seek the truth, but to establish immutable truths that are not based on scientific reasoning, but on faith. For this reason, we can consider that with Al Farabi, the Political Science is introduced in Islam. His legacy is so deep that after him, Political though in the Islamic World changed definitively.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Al Farabi and the Birth of Political Science in Islam
    AU  - Zidane Zeraoui
    AU  - Luz Araceli Gonzalez Uresti
    Y1  - 2021/11/25
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12
    T2  - Science Development
    JF  - Science Development
    JO  - Science Development
    SP  - 71
    EP  - 81
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2994-7154
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.scidev.20210204.12
    AB  - This article on Al Farabi seeks to introduce the reader unfamiliar with the political thought of classical Islam, to one of the most relevant political thinkers of the Golden Age of Islam. Al Farabi was called the "Magister secundus", that is to say the most brilliant mind after Aristotle. The depth of his intellect placed him as the most important thinker of his time and the second most important in all of history, according to the Europe of the Middle Ages. His book on the Virtuous City was ahead of its time with the proposition that rulers should seek the happiness of their subjects. The theme of happiness arrived to the universities, and some of the most prestigious ones founded their own Centers for Happiness. In fact, the theme became one of the main preoccupations of the international organizations. The General Assembly of the United Nations itself in its resolution 66/281, decreed back in 2012, March 20 to commemorate The International Day for Happiness, as a way to recognize the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal aspirations for all human beings. In addition, it puts political thought above religious thought because it is more scientific. Al Farabi managed to displace religious thought, relegating it to second place after political thought, the only one that allows reaching the truth. Religious thought does not seek the truth, but to establish immutable truths that are not based on scientific reasoning, but on faith. For this reason, we can consider that with Al Farabi, the Political Science is introduced in Islam. His legacy is so deep that after him, Political though in the Islamic World changed definitively.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Political Science and International Relations, School of Government and Social Sciences, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies, Monterrey, Mexico

  • Department of Political Science and International Relations, School of Government and Social Sciences, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies, Monterrey, Mexico

  • Sections