Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Associate Professor, Political Science Department, Research Institute of Hawzah and University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Human happiness might be one of the influential principles of political theory, and indeed political theorists are required to understand human nature and its fundamental characteristics and explore ways and means to reach a desirable society. From this perspective, every political theory is based on specific epistemological claims about the traits of human beings. One issue-area in theory-building is how human nature plays a decisive role in the attainment of happiness. A key objective of the present article is to discuss ‘well-being’ in various aspects of everyday lives of humankind and examine its implications for political theory from the perspective of the Holy Quran. The primary research question to be answered is: Given the existential structure of human beings from the perspective of the Holy Qur'an, would they be able to present a theory of happiness as one of the foundations of political theory, independently and on their own? By using the method of thematic study of the Qur'an, the author seeks to answer this question and produce heightened awareness of many issues related to the association between the conception of human well-being and political theory about why happy people are happy, what factors result in happiness, and how to attain happiness. In the research hypothesis, it is argued hat political theory's inattention to the fundamental nature of human happiness will be an obstacle to creating a desirable society. The use of the words “bashar” and “ensān”—that means exactly the same as the word "human”—to refer to the divine prophets in the Holy Book indicated that they were humans but they had the unique ability to receive ‘revelation’. This ability fulfills a general need, i.e., the need for transcendental and divine guidance for the attainment of human happiness. The Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) received revelation of the Qur'an from God. The structure of humans’ existence and the way of life of human beings on earth are such that they need divine guidance through the descent of an angel who is a divine messenger to convey the message of divine guidance to human beings to fulfill that need.
For the sake of brevity and presenting a concise discussion, only the term ‘human’ and some of their Qur'anic applications will be used to answer the research question. The use of the word ‘human’ to refer to the divine prophets in the Qur'an shows that they are not fundamentally different from other human beings. in terms of the existential structure and nature, in spite of the fact that they had a special and, of course, very important quality (i.e., the ability to receive ‘revelation’). This explanation about the implication of a theory of human well-being, which must necessarily be derived from a revelatory source, will be very important for political theory. In this respect, political theory must seek a divine source to explain and attain happiness. This can put an end to the endless and seemingly insurmountable differences that exist in the theories of happiness. The implication of a theory about human happiness, which must inevitably be derived from a revelatory source, is very important for theory building in politics. Political theory must consider the theological dimension of existentialism and the enrichment of human life. If political theory ignores this fundamental feature of the nature of human happiness, it cannot achieve its fundamental objective that is to create a desirable society.
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