The Influence of 'Philosophy of the Illuminated' in the Khomeini's Approach to Create an 'Ideal Society'
The Influence of 'Philosophy of the Illuminated' in the Khomeini's Approach to Create an 'Ideal Society'

Summary/Abstract: The study examines how the philosophical ideas of the so-called ’Illuminated’ are reflected in Khomeini’s vision of an ‘ideal society’. It can be argued that the Islamic mystical tradition (thereafter Irfan) to which he was a devotee played an important role in the formation of his worldview in general, particularly the role of the mysticism and his responsibility for orienting people towards the sacred realm through the establishment of an ideal society.​​​​ For the purposes of the study, alongside the historical approach, an anthropological approach has been applied, which is more open to qualitative research. The results suggest that his later political theory of Wilayat al-Faqih can be legitimized on the basis of gnostic and metaphysical notions, an issue that has important implications for future research. Using Plato’s and al-Fārābī’s views of “ideal society” as a motivational and inspirational power he created a new “semantic power”, as a basic indicator for understanding the principle of development of society. The study aims to stimulate further debate within the social sciences on the relationship between mysticism, metaphysics, and political thought.

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