Political Philosophy (2): Methodology An Interview with Āyatullāh Muḥamad Taqi Misbāh

The philosophy of Islamic politics, or the political philosophy of Islam, represents both the conceptual and affirmative foundations that can be employed in the explanation of the Islamic political theory. In this process, one can benefit from either descriptive or normative propositions, because in methodological issues one can make use of normative propositions. Even some normative propositions can be established through descriptive and factual premises.Normative disciplines can be dealt with in three levels: first is the philosophical level dealing with the principles of a certain discipline, as we see in the philosophy of law, the philosophy of ethics, and the philosophy of politics. At a second level, with a narrower approach, one deals with the essential accidents of the subject matter of the discipline. Still at a third level, practical proficiency is concerned, a proficiency based on the philosophical principles and disciplinary findings. For instance, regarding law, there is a philosophy of law, the discipline of law, and the practice of law. Not all who study the philosophy and the discipline of law are good lawyers or judges. A judge should be professional in determining the actual cases of a legal norm, in addition to a complete grasp of the philosophy of law and legal codes.In the domain of politics also, there are political philosophy, the discipline itself, and the actual engagement in political affairs. We should inquire about the Islamic ideas at all three levels.