The analogy of the city and the soul in Plato's "Republic" has often been criticised in academic literature, perhaps most famously by Bernard Williams in his 1973 essay "The Analogy of City and...Show moreThe analogy of the city and the soul in Plato's "Republic" has often been criticised in academic literature, perhaps most famously by Bernard Williams in his 1973 essay "The Analogy of City and Soul in Plato's Republic". Building on the refutation of this criticism in an earlier essay, this thesis attempts to establish an integral interpretation of the city-soul analogy which is both conceptually and narratively adequate. A close study of the introduction of the analogy in book II of the "Republic" informs us that the analogy implies a similar structure between city and soul, but no correlation, and that it is not intended as an argument or principle, but rather as a guiding hypothesis for Socrates' experimental investigation of justice. This interpretation allows for the refutation of numerous criticisms of Plato's elaboration of the analogy in Callipolis. Finally, the combination of this interpretation with insight in the psychologically realist character of Callipolis, enables us to understand the working of the analogy in the "City of Pigs", and the role of this short-lived utopia in Plato's ethical and political theory, leading us to the conclusion that Plato's "Republic", if properly understood, is everything but a highlight of utopian thinking.Show less
In this dissertation, I set forth an analysis and interpretation of Khomeini's 'Lectures on Surat Al-Fatiha,' broadcasted after the 1979 Revolution. In the 'lectures,' Khomeini argued in favour of...Show moreIn this dissertation, I set forth an analysis and interpretation of Khomeini's 'Lectures on Surat Al-Fatiha,' broadcasted after the 1979 Revolution. In the 'lectures,' Khomeini argued in favour of a philosophical rationale that justified his main political doctrine, the 'guardianship of the jurist.' As I discuss, this justification hinges upon the intellectual differentiation between individual human beings and the envisaged hierarchy of truth that characterizes the different Islamic disciplines. Albeit Islamic law is lower than Islamic philosophy, it is necessary, as most human beings cannot foster their philosophical perfection without an Islamic jurist guarding over them. This understanding enables us to epitomize Khomeini as an Islamic philosopher, a claim I strengthen by comparing the 'lectures' to Avicenna's political philosophy. Despite their differences, their political philosophies resemble each other more than might seem and an understanding of Avicenna’s political philosophy furthers our understanding of the relationship between Islamic law and Islamic philosophy in Khomeini’s thinking. Doing so, I argue that the main doctrine of Khomeini’s legalist reading of Islam, the ‘guardianship of the jurist,’ must be subordinated to his understanding of the philosophical perfection of the human being, thereby illustrating his conceptual closeness to the Islamic philosophical tradition.Show less
