Abstract

To the best of my knowledge, the political ideas of the Ikhwan al-Safa’ (the Pure Brethren) have not been extensively discussed in scholarly literature, except when they have been considered as a political movement.1 The reason for this neglect could be that the “Pure Brethren” are contrasted with “philosophers,” who were understood to have taken an alien position with regard to the political expectations of the society they lived in, thanks to their evaluation of Plato’s Republic.2 This chapter continues the discussion of a topic I have addressed several times in recent years, aiming to demonstrate that the Ikhwan al-Safa’ do not fail to approach policy from a theoretical standpoint and that the philosophical doctrines developed in their “encyclopedia of sciences” titled al-Rasa’il (Epistles) can be understood to be a functional element of their political vision.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.