Comparing Western and Islamic Political Thought

by Black, Antony

• ISBN13: 9780199533206
• ISBN10: 0199533202
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This comparative history of political thought examines what the Western and Islamic approaches to politics had in common and where they diverged. The book considers how various ancient and medieval thought-patterns did or did not lead to modern developments; and how sacred monarchy, the legitimacy of the state, and the role of the people were looked upon in each culture. The author focuses on the period from the rise of Islam to the European Reformation, but his analysis extends to the main genres of political thought up to the present. He argues that until the mid-eleventh century, Europe, Islam, and the Byzantine world had more in common than is commonly thought. What made the West different was the papal revolution of the late eleventh century, Europe's twelfth-century 'renaissance', and the gradual secularization of political thought which followed. At the same time, Islam, after an early blossoming, interpreted its own revelation more and more narrowly. This volume throws light on why the West and Islam each developed their own particular kind of approach to government, politics and the state, and on why these are so different.

Author Biography

Antony Black is Professor Emeritus in the History of Political Thought, School of Humanities, University of Dundee.

Table of Contents

Glossary	p. xiv
Abbreviations	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
Religion and Politics: The West, Islam, Byzantium	p. 11
Religious and political spheres and authorities	p. 11
Original differences	p. 11
Early Christianity	p. 11
Early Islam	p. 13
Convergence between the West and Islam	p. 15
Sultan and 'ulama	p. 22
Return to original positions	p. 26
Separation of church and state in the West	p. 28
Modern Islam	p. 30
Political participation	p. 33
Revolutionary eschatology	p. 34
Holy war	p. 35
Persecution, toleration	p. 37
Legitimacy: The Caliphate and the State	p. 43
The origins and purpose of coercive jurisdiction	p. 44
Marsilius of Padua and Ibn Rushd	p. 51
The responsibilities of caliphate and state	p. 57
Abstract political concepts	p. 59
Society: Tribe, Commune, and Nation	p. 65
The family	p. 65
Women	p. 66
Feudalism	p. 66
Communes	p. 67
Nation	p. 68
Church and 'umma	p. 69
Classes	p. 71
Regimes: Europe, Islam, and Byzantium	p. 76
Monarchy	p. 76
Justice and law	p. 81
Law and the king	p. 83
Religious constitutionalism	p. 85
How to deal with a bad ruler	p. 89
The people	p. 94
Practical Politics	p. 101
Managerial politics	p. 103
Might and right	p. 104
Ibn Khaldun, Machiavelli, Marx	p. 107
Approaches to Political Thought	p. 112
The effects of religious differences	p. 112
Narrative and abstract	p. 113
The influences of Plato and Aristotle	p. 116
Attitudes to philosophy and reason	p. 117
Islam's rejection of philosophy	p. 121
European renaissance	p. 124
Revival of philosophy in twelfth-century Europe	p. 126
Changes in Religion and Politics	p. 133
The first European revolution	p. 133
The city republics	p. 138
Sunni consolidation	p. 139
Revolutionary Shi'ism in Iran	p. 142
The Origins of Western Political Thought	p. 145
Natural law	p. 146
Liberty	p. 149
The state	p. 150
Theory and practice	p. 151
Approaches to political thought (continued)	p. 152
Conclusion	p. 154
Epilogue: The West, Islam, Russia	p. 157
The Influences of the West	p. 159
Conclusion	p. 163
Marsilius and Ibn Rushd	p. 166
Bibliography	p. 168
Primary sources	p. 168
Secondary sources	p. 170
Index	p. 181
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