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Al-Farabi
His Life:
His real name was Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Tarkhan ibn Ulagh. Abu
Nasr Al-Farabi. He was born at Wasij, a village near Farab in 870. He was Turk
by birth. He shifted to Baghdad in his teens and studied mainly there. He
became the pupil of Abu Bishr Matta bin Younus, a Christian scholar, who
translated a number of books of Plato. Aristotle and other Greek philosophers
in to Arabic. He was not satisfied with him and went to another Christian
philosopher. Yuhana bin Jilad at Harran, from whom he learnt basic
instructions of political science.
Al-Farabi was the first Turkish philosopher to make name. Being a great
expositor of Aristotle’s philosophy, he was called al-Muallim al-thani. “The
second teacher” with Aristotle as the first. He was the very base of the
pyramid of Muslim philosophy. No Muslim philosopher could reach the same
position as Al-Farabi in philosophical knowledge, reached.
Al-Farabi’s period was the days of great turmoil in Islamic realm. Many new
dynasties like Persian and Turkish were springing within the Abbasid Empire.
Those dynasties differed from Abbasid yet they sought the blessing of the
realm. He was attached with court of Saif-ud-Dawlah in 931 at Damascus and
remained with him till his death in 950.
His Works:
He has written various books, but his book “Ideal State” have no equals. Al-
Farabi explains in the book that the final aim of the state on the earth is to
make souls happy in the next world. He says the souls of inhabitants of Ideal
State would assemble generation after generation in the next world and their
happiness would increase according to increase in their number.
In his book, “Book of Agreement between the Ideas of two Philosophers the
divine Plato and Aristotle” he attempts to establish a harmony between two
Greek philosophers, when their views are apparently different but he seeks
to reconcile
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Aviotical Science (Paper)
Aviotical Science (Paper)
Pulosophy and revelation, an necessary pre-condition of the integration of
philosophy with Islam. He tries to vindicate the absolute truth of revelation
through philosophy and does not therefore interpret giving reasons
supremacy over revelation. Therefore, Al-Farabi was a Muslim first and
disciple of Plato and Aristotle and their Melicistic successor and commentator
second.
Theory of State:
Al-Farabi gave varieties of states other than the Ideal State or Model
Commonwealth. He has divided the state into the followings kinds.
(i) State of necessity:
The primary objective of the head of state is to arrange necessities of life like
fooding, drinking, clothing, lodging for the common men. He also gives the
precise details about the means of acquiring the necessities of that people
should assist each other in securing their object.
(ii) State of Desire:
In this state, the head of state has to make life of people luxurious with life of
plenty of resources in order that they might eat, drink and make merry freely
and according to their own will.
(iii) State of Ease:
In this state the citizens would be contented, if they are assured of a life of
ease and comfort and if their desire would not go beyond the moderate
limits.
(iv) Vile State:
In this state the citizens strive for wealth and riches for their own sake. The
account in this state includes a description of ruler.
(v) Base State:
The citizens of this state concentrate on pleasure of senses, games and other
pastime. They help one another to enjoy sensual pleasure such as games,
jokes and pleasantries and this is the enjoyment of the pleasures of eating
and merry-making. This state is happy and fortunate state with the people of
ignorance with abundant wealth to spend.
(vi) Timocracy:
It contains a variety of honours and its citizens are against of each other in
gaining glory, fame and honour. Honour is of two types. One is recognized
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hearable because of his virtue, caliber and sagacity in the field of state-
politics and administration. Second is recognized honourable because of his
wealth or victorious position.
(vii) Tyranny:
Its citizens cooperates each other to gain victory over other or to reach
absolute mastery and to enjoy pleasure of [Link] distinguishes between
tyranny and despotism. However he does not distinguish sufficiently
between the impulse to gain victory, mastery and absolute power for their
own state and impulse to gain honour or wealth or pleasure for other
objectives. The former is tyranny, while the later is democracy.
(viii) Democracy:
Its citizens enjoy the [Link] are equal and no one has mastery over
others. Their rules govern the people with their consent. Democracy contains
both good and bad elements. It is therefore not impossible to grow there the
most excellent men so that philosophers, orators and poets come into being.
It is thus possible to choose them from the elements of Ideal State.
Ideal State:
Al-Farabi constructed the concept of his ideal state partly based on Republic
of Plato and partly based on the teachings of Aristotle regarding the ideal
[Link] says that the final aim of his Ideal State is to make souls happy in
this world and as the world hereafter and man’s ultimate goal is how to
achieve it. He was convinced that only the philosopher king or at least an
association of philosophers could secure complete happiness for man.
Al-Farabi defines his Ideal State as one whose citizens help each other to
obtain those by means of which true happiness is gained. The true happiness
for a man is a state of soul which is free from matter.
Al-Farabi has divided the people of his Ideal State in to five groups, which
are:
(i)The Intelligentia
(ii)The langual people
(iii)The Educationists
(iv)The people of spirit
(v)The people of service.
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The best among them are intellectuals and philosophers group. The
predictions and philosophers have sufficient intellect to draw conclusion
therefore
they are better than others groups of [Link] who can draw
conclusions from
the given facts can lead those who can [Link] leader who is philosopher
has the
capability to lead the whole people in every branch of life.
Raisul - Awwal:
Al-Farabi says that there should be first leader and second leader in every
branch of [Link] first leader should be philosopher, who (Raisul Awwal) by
his
own nature does not submit before any [Link] should be superior by
nature and
[Link] must have the capability to convey himself to other. He is
man, the
first ruler over the ideal [Link]-Farabi anticipated the doctrine of
sovereignty, which
was later on detailed and developed in Europe by Bodin in 17th century.
Al-Farabi enumerates twelve attributes of the first leader or ideal sovereign,
which are:
1. He must possess the quality of persuasion and imagination to attain the
perfection.
2. He must be physically sound with matchless understanding.
3. He must have the visualization about all, what has been said.
4. He must have the retentive and sharp memory.
5. He must have authority to get work done by others.
6. He must have power to convey himself.
7. He must have the theoretical and practical knowledge, of sciences and an
and
virtue leading to good deeds.
8. He must shun off playfulness and have control over anger and passion. He
should not indulge in excess of eating,drinking and sexual acts.
9. He must have love for truth, persuasion of justice and hatred of hypocrisy.
10. He must provide happiness for people and should do sway from tyranny
and
oppression.
11. He must have power to distribute justice without any fear.
12. He must serve his people during internal and external aggression. He
must be
in possession of considerable wealth,to avoid greed and lust.
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Al-Farabi fully realizes that these qualities can not be found in single man.
One with five or six these qualities can become leader. If such person is not
available then a council of two or even five persons having the aggregate of
same qualities may be formed by making a person first leader or Raisul-Awal.
Al-Farabi was of the opinion that the guardians or intellectuals are above the
law yet they take action from the laws.
Education:
Al-Farabi has made arrangement of education for the guardian class or
intellectuals or philosophers. He says that the Raisul-Awal or Imam-king must
study the speculative sciences. No person can attain perfection and
happiness without education.
Al-Farabi distinguishes between education by certain proof and education by
persuasion, which is suitable for acquiring virtues and arts. He says that the
king / imam must possess persuasion and imagination to perfection as well
as a philosopher may be skilled speculative sciences.
Al-Farabi says that the masses who serve the state by their art and crafts can
be taught by means of persuasion and imagination. They reserved for
themselves the right and duty to interpret the Holy Qur’an and to investigate
its hidden and inner meanings due to their superior intellect and training in
the speculative sciences, which enabled them to use demonstrative
arguments.
Al-Farabi says as well as king / imam is concerned, he possesses of
intelligible by means of certain proofs and thereby perceives reality.
This is perfect science, which aims at utmost happiness and ultimate
perfection, to which man can reach is called wisdom or philosophy.
Administration:
Al-Farabi also elaborated the administration of his ideal state. He says that
the supreme head Raisul-Awal feel more or less for the first cause — God the
Almighty, who has put every thing in place best fitted? Otherwise the work of
creation of the world would not run smoothly.
Al-Farabi says that the philosopher king or Imam has organized well the
state, which collects, arranges and organizes the different functionaries in a
proper way and their status increases or decreases according to distance
between them and the Supreme Head.
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Political Science | Part I
General States:
Al-Farabi as opposed to his Ideal State enumerates those motives under
which the states of ignorance and crookedness came in to being or be
enumerates those causes which lead man to form the states of ignorance.
The following are the causes:
(i) Force / Political Power:
According to him the first cause of cooperation of man with man is force or
political power. When one person has resources physical or moral, at his
disposal, makes a body of people subservient to him and forms the ignorant
state.
(ii) Patriarchal Theory:
According to Al-Farabi some people consider that the very incident of birth
initiate the process of cooperation between father and children and other
blood relations, the cooperation is transformed into a state.
(iii) Common Language or Customs / Traditions:
Al-Farabi says that common language or customs / traditions are the main
reasons for the nourishment of ignorant state. These form a strong bond for
union of men due to common language and customs.
(iv) Same Geographical Territories:
The same geographical territories also form the state, as people living in the
same place develop cooperation and understanding for the formation of a
state. The habitation of people in same city or territory binds them together.
(v) Proper Organization of the People:
The proper organization of the people by the Supreme Head also results in
the origin of state. Al-Farabi has also given the theory of the compact for
Mutual Renunciation of Rights and says that according to some, this would
be the basis of political cooperation resulting in the formation of state of
ignorant.
(vi) Material Relationship:
Another cause of cooperation is the material relationship between the two or
more groups. This cooperation will further result in the origin of state.
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Kinds of Ignorance States:
Al-Farabi divided the states of ignorance in to three kinds, i.e. Vicious State
Transformed State and State in [Link] explanation of each is given below:
(i) Vicious State:
The citizens of vicious state have right- beliefs and convictions like those of
ideal state, but their actions are like those of “ignorant states”. Although
they know what true happiness is and how they can gain it?
(ii) Transformed State:
The transformed state has undergone a change originally,it was an ideal
state and its right opinions and actions were replaced by the wrong opinions
and actions and were transformed in different state.
(iii) State in Error:
It was like the ideal state and its inhabitants hold corrupt beliefs regarding
God,yet they claim that they have correct views about God and happiness.
Similarly its first ruler claimed that he had received but he held the wrong
opinion and commanded the bad actions. So the ruler himself in error and he
led his people astray as well.
Place in Political Philosophy:
Al-Farabi was a renowned political philosopher and was referred by
philosophers in all ages. He had secured unprecedented and unique
intellectual achievements and weaved the fabric of Islamic civilization. His
unsatisfied instinct led him to study philosophy, logic, politics, mathematics
and physics.
Al-Farabi wrote many books on every topic including logic, politics,
philosophy, sociology and music. But his books on politics and philosophy are
of unique importance. The Summary of Plato, the Commentary of Aristotle
and his books on Natural Sciences, treatises on Intelligence and Soils are the
original books. He earned his name as the philosopher of Islam.
Al-Farabi has influenced the Muslim philosophers in general and in particular
Ibn-Bajja and Ibn-Rushd in Spain and Ibn-Sina’ ir East. He was not only the
philosopher of Islam, yet he was known as the father of all Muslims
philosophers.
Al-Farabi also influenced the western philosopher like Bodin, Hobbes and
Locke. Bodin has coined the theory of sovereignty being deeply influenced by
Al-Farabi. Hobes and Locke have developed their theory of “Social Contract”
being
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Polline
desply convinced by the theory of Al-Farabi of the Compact for Mutual
Reexecution of Rights”.
Al-Farabi has established harmony between the Greek philosophy and Muslim
philosophy by writing a book entitled “Book of Agreement between the Idea
of two philosophers, the Divine Plato and Aristotle.
Al-Farabi realized importance of politics in the philosopher’s research for
truth about God, the universe, reality and man by writing a summery of
Plato’s philosophy. He created a balance between philosophy and revelation
by vindicating absolute truth of revelation through philosophy. Therefore he
was Muslim first and disciple of Plato and Aristotle second. He was inspired
by Plato in setting of his ideal state, but there is a mass of material in his
writing not found in Plato but he has taken it from local sources. It is matter
of importance that such material should be analyzed in local context and
Farabi may be given his rightful place on the scene -of political philosophy.
Al-Farabi has introduced Arab world with the philosophy of Greek in general
and particularly with the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle by translating their
books into Arabic?
The great Christian scholars like Albert, the great and St. Thomas Aquinas
acknowledged their indebtedness to Al-Farabi in the development of their
political theories. Herbert Spencer and Rousseau also followed Al-Farabi’s line
when they propounded their theories. Spinoza’s method like that of Al-Farabi
is deductive and like him, his system is a form of ideals. Al-Farabi laid down
several rules for teachers honestly striving to tram the young students into
philosophy. No scholar could start the study of philosophy until he gets very
well acquainted with natural sciences. Mathematics in particular is very
important for training the young philosopher, Al-Farabi said.
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