Transition From Collective Cooperation to the Political and Moral Sphere in Order to Overcome the Political Crisis Based on Suhrawardi’s Thought

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Authors

1 PhD in Philosophy, Faculty of Literature, Department of Philosophy, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Kurdistan

10.48308/kj.2025.239182.1314

Abstract

The central question of this article revolves around how Suhrwardi establishes his political thought based on the realities of the existing world, rather than, as is commonly believed, on the relationships of an imaginary realm. The authors contend that a careful study of Suhrwardi’s political philosophy reveals he developed his Illuminative Philosophy, especially its political aspect, as a direct response to the political and social crises of his time. He identified the most significant problem with the politics of his era as its reliance on force. Through his unique perspective, he elucidated the logic of Illuminative Politics in opposition to this force-based approach. In this article, we aim to demonstrate what conceptual tools Suhrwardi employed to counter the dominant, force-based worldview of his time and how, using these tools, he challenged the very edifice of authoritarian governance. The research methodology used in this article is descriptive-analytical. The findings and results of this study indicate that in his Illuminative Politics, Suhrwardi sought to identify elements that would allow him to challenge the structure of force-based politics. Illuminative Politics, centered on collective cooperation based on a system of needs, deriving the political from this system of needs, public welfare stemming from the rational structure of the world, collective justice, and civic and political ethics, ultimately positions itself as a distinct alternative to force-based politics.

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