Al-Farabi's Philosophy of Public Administration

Abstract

This article is written to demonstrate how the philosopher Al-Farabi conceptually imagined the key features of an ideal governor of his time. His understanding of the concepts of leader, power, state linked to creating a happy society is discussed in paper.

In Al-Farabi's views, politics should be related to morality and ethics rather that to power. A basic political idea of al-Farabi to be applied in the present context is his fundamental idea of the ethical society. The idea of creating an ethical state is more central for al-Farabi than his theory construction. His concept of ethics means striving for true happiness by being a virtuous member of ethical society. Therefore, in his political philosophy, the core valuable idea is a moral principles and a process of implementing the ethics in real life rather than imagined and potential results. Instead, it is more rationalistic to create an ethical society, oriented to these ideals. Ethical societies are more resilient during political, economic and social crisis than unethical ones. If the state can guarantee the morality and ethics for citizens by laws or systems, the stability of political order would not be the outmost and central issue at all. Moreover, when citizens before anything agree on the nature of being good and bad, political conflicts rarely happen; then social harmony will become a reality more likely.

According to philosopher, for achieving the level of a rationalist happiness, the Governor must convince people to live a conscious life, by reasonably responding to their social environment. The ability to communicate well and direct people to those actions through which the common good is achieved is more essential.