Abstract

This dissertation is a comparative study in fourth/tenth century Islamic political philosophy. It undertakes a comparison between the political thought of al-Farabi , the philosophical figure who dominated the first half of this century, and the political ideas of a group of popular philosophers known as the Brethren of Purity, who flourished in the second half of the same century. Although both al-Farabi and the Brethren avoid referring to fourth/tenth century individuals or events, their thought has to be understood as a reaction to the political malaise of this turbulent century. ;Al-Farabi was the founder and first systematic exponent of political philosophy in Islam. Although there are problems regarding the number, authenticity and chronology of his works, as well as disagreements among modern scholars in interpreting his thought, his political philosophy has, by and large, been well researched. This cannot be said about the Brethren of Purity. For one thing, the researcher faces greater problems, not only regarding the composition of the Epistles in which they express their thought, but also in establishing their very identity. Secondly, their Epistles have been studied as a compendium of scientific, philosophical and mystical knowledge, but their political ideas have received scant attention. ;In making this comparison, the study had to address itself to questions relating to the composition, authenticity, authorship and dating of the works of the thinkers studied. These questions are thus discussed in chapters one, three and four. The exposition of the political thought of al-Farabi and the Brethren, as well as the philosophical setting in which their thought is expounded, is contained in chapters two, five and six. The final chapter is devoted to the comparison of the two systems of thought. ;Resemblances between the political ideas of al-Farabi and the Brethren have been alluded to by scholars, but their significance has been greatly exaggerated. The thrust of this study is to show that, notwithstanding some similarities, the political ideas of al-Farabi and the Brethren are far from being identical: they stem from two entirely different perspectives, one philosophical, the other basically religious