Islamic philosopher who synthesised Platonic political philosophy with Islamic thought. His Mabadi' Ara' Ahl al-Madina al-Fadila (The Virtuous City) envisioned an ideal state led by a philosopher-ruler whose intellectual and moral perfection qualifies him to guide the community toward genuine happiness, by analogy with the way a healthy body's parts are ordered under the heart. He died around 950, probably in Damascus.
Facts
Disputed
Birth YearSources disagree on the exact birth year. Encyclopaedia Britannica gives circa 878, in Turkistan, while other reference works and biographical dictionaries place his birth as early as 870 to 872. No contemporary record fixes the date precisely, so historians treat it as an approximate rather than a settled year; 878 is the figure Britannica itself records and is used here as the representative value. Classification
Political Role Connections
Drafted
Al-Farabi wrote The Virtuous City late in his life, setting out his vision of an ideal state led by a philosopher-ruler.
Source Al-Farabi (Britannica)
Sources
1. Al-Farabi - Wikipedia (Wikipedia)
2. Al-Farabi (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaEntity description, gender reference sentenceQuote, Entity description, gender reference sentence
His Mabadi' Ara' Ahl al-Madina al-Fadila (The Virtuous City) envisioned an ideal state led by a philosopher-ruler whose intellectual and moral perfection qualifies him to guide the community toward genuine happiness, by analogy with the way a healthy body's parts are ordered under the heart.
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