HOPT - Lectures 1 - 6
'Democratic' or Popular state of Al-Farbi - ANS-Distinct from Plato: Al-Farabi sees great
potential (and dangers!) in democratic polity
Much pleasure/flourishing & liberty & trade
It is a glitte
...
HOPT - Lectures 1 - 6
'Democratic' or Popular state of Al-Farbi - ANS-Distinct from Plato: Al-Farabi sees great
potential (and dangers!) in democratic polity
Much pleasure/flourishing & liberty & trade
It is a glittering, multi-cultural, cosmopolitan society in which several religions can functions side
by side
Al-Farabi on religion & philosophy - ANS-Philosophy = Intellectual Cognition --> Truth
Religion = Imaginings --> Images of the truth
Al-Farabi's ideal state - ANS-- Advanced division of labor based on individual cognitive
capacities and bodily skills
- (theocratic) Epistemocracy
- Explicity embraces Aristotle's idea that humans are social-political animals
- A good state can be a city, a country or an empire, but the best virtuous city is a multi-national
empire
Al-Ghazali on Al-Farabi - ANS-Political theory of the philosophers = mostly public policy
Political theory of the philosophers = not original; pretty much plagiarized from Quran and other
scriptures
Arthasastra - ANS-- Example of statecraft
- Ruling involves skilled attention to lost of political mechanisms and skilled delegation of
responsibilities to others
- Shows intimate link between domestica affairs and international relations
Arthasatra: Main aim(s) of Government - ANS-- Government is a means of enrichment
of...Government (the King)
- Motivates not just way, but a lot of state economic activity
- When this works well, the interest of the soverign works on behalf os everybody's interests
Author of Arthasastra - ANS-- Authorship is disputed
- It is often attributed to Canakya, a ruthless Brahmana, who became the political advisor to
future emepror Chandragupta Maurya
Background of the politics in Athens - ANS-- It was a so-called direct or popular democracy.
However, women, children, slaves and resident foreigners were excluded.
- Met in a regular assembly. A
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