Politics and Excellence Politics and Excellence THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF ALFARABI Miriam Galston PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY Copyright © 1990 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Oxford All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publtcation Data Galston, Miriam, 1946— Politics and excellence : the political philosophy of Alfarabi / Miriam Galston. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. FarabI—Contributions in political science. I. Title. B753.F34G35 1990 320'.01-dc20 90-32877 ISBN 0-691-07808-4 This book has been composed in Linotron Sabon Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources Printed in the United States of America by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey 1 3 5 7 9 1 0 8 6 4 2 To Ralph Lerner CONTENTS Acknowledgments ix Note on Transliteration, Citation, and Translation xi Introduction 3 CHAPTER I Alfarabi's Method of Writing 22 A. Aristotle's Exdterikoi Logoi and the Post-Aristotelian 27 Traditions B. Alfarabi and Philosophic Multilevel Writing 35 C. Alfarabi and Religious Multilevel Writing 43 D. Conclusion 47 CHAPTER II The Problem of Happiness 55 A. The Alternative Portraits of Happiness 59 B. The Classification of the Sciences and Reason 68 C. The Autonomy of Practical Reason 76 D. The Doctrine of the Agent Intellect 82 E. Politics as Metaphor 84 F. Conclusion 92 CHAPTER III The Royal Craft 95 A. Philosophic and Nonphilosophic Supreme Rulers 97 B. The Operation of Practical Reason 109 C. TheRulingTypesandTheirActivities 127 D. Conclusion 142 CHAPTER IV Cities of Excellence 146 A. Mankind's Political Nature 147 B. The Possibility of Cities of Excellence 153 C. The Goals of Cities of Excellence 157 D. The Citizens of Excellence 166 E. Conclusion 175 CHAPTER V The Autonomy of Political Science viii CONTENTS A. Political Knowledge Preceded by Metaphysics: Al-Siyasah al-Madaniyyah and Al-Madmab al-Fadilah 183 B. Political Science as an Autonomous Science: Fusiil Muntaza'ah 188 C. Political Knowledge as Dependent on Philosophical Psychology: Tahstl al-Sa'adah 192 D. The Parallel Works 200 E. Conclusion 220 Bibliography 223 Index 235 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS MY THANKS go in the first instance to Muhsin Mahdi, who directed my graduate studies at the University of Chicago and who started me down the path that led to this book. Professor Mahdi's editions, translations, and interpretations of Alfarabi are a major cause of the renewed interest in Alfarabi's works and thought in recent years, and his meticulous schol­ arship has established a standard to which his students can only aspire. In addition, my profound gratitude goes to Charles Butterworth, Alfred Ivry, and Michael Marmura, who read the manuscript of this book in its entirety. Their insights and wise counsel have contributed greatly to the development of this work. My deepest appreciation goes to William A. Galston, who has read, with his customary perspicacity, every draft of every chapter of every version of this book over the last ten years. The book also owes much to others, including Michael Blaustein, Steven Har­ vey, Frank Hunt, Lutz Richter-Bernburg, Tom Tuozzo, and an anony­ mous reviewer for Princeton University Press, whose observations and criticisms enabled me to refine my ajrgument and helped me avoid certain errors and omissions. Finally, it was Allan Bloom who introduced me to Alfarabi and who taught me to love political philosophy. This book is dedicated to Ralph Lerner, with whom I studied Tocque- ville and Maimonides at Cornell University and medieval philosophy at the University of Chicago. His wisdom, caring, and wit have sustained me for twenty years and have furnished me with a model of what a teacher should be.