The Politics of Friendship in the Political Thought of Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi

Sharif, Tahereh; Barzegar, Ebrahim; Khorramshad,, MohammadBagher; Ghaderi, Nafisesadat

doi:10.22059/jstmt.2025.385008.1748

Document Type : Research Article / Original Article

Authors

¹ PH.D Candidate in Political Science, Department of Theology and Political science, Faculty of Law, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University,Tehran, Iran.

² Professor, Department of Political Scienc and Law, Allame Tabatabaei University, Invited professor in Department of Theology and Political Science, Faculty of Law, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

³ Professor, Department of political scienc and law.Allame Tabatabaei University, Invited professor in Department of Theology and Political Science, Faculty of Law, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Assistant professor, Department of Theology and Political science, Faculty of Law, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22059/jstmt.2025.385008.1748

Abstract

Civil friendship among human beings is a noble virtue, a prerequisite for human flourishing, and a defining characteristic present since the dawn of history. As Carl Schmitt asserts, the essence of politics lies in the friend-enemy distinction, inherently inciting conflict. In recent centuries, discourses of hostility have expanded within the Islamic world, with movements such as Wahhabism and jihadist-takfiri factions exemplifying this tendency. Given that conflict appears foundational and that one of the main responsibilities of politics is conflict resolution through friendship, this study aims to conceptualize and advance the idea of a "politics of friendship" in Iran and across Muslim societies. To this end, the thought of Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi—an influential thinker from the Islamic Golden Age—is revisited. Tusi emphasized love in political thought, considering it superior to justice, and offering great potential for grounding a politics of friendship. The findings suggest that Tusi's political philosophy can be adapted to contemporary contexts through a theoretical model of political and civil friendship. This model incorporates insights from Western thinkers such as Hannah Arendt and Jacques Derrida, as well as elements from the thought of Imam Khomeini.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Rereading and interpreting the ideas of leading Muslim thinkers

References

Abolhasani Niyaraki, F. (2021). Goodness-centered civic ethics based on love and friendship from the perspective of Khajeh Nasir. Research Journal of Ethics, 14(53), Autumn. [In Persian]

Abolhasani Niyaraki, F. (2023). Explanation of the historical transformation of the Platonic-Aristotelian doctrine of friendship and love in the thought of Farabi and Tusi (in the field of human relations). History of Philosophy, 13(4). [In Persian]

Alavipour, M., & Borhani, M. (2011). Classical friendship and contemporary solidarity. Political and International Approaches, 2(5). [In Persian]

Alavipour, M. (2016). Derrida's critique of narratives of friendship in the history of political thought. Political and International Approaches, 7(46), Summer. [In Persian]

Amin, H. (2004). Ismailiyon va Mogol va Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi [Ismailis, Mongols, and Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi]. Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence Encyclopedia, Qom. [In Persian]

Arendt, H. (2011). The human condition (M. Alia, Trans.). Ghoghnus, Tehran. (Original work published 1958) [In Persian]

Arendt, H. (2015). The life of the mind (M. Alia, Trans.). Ghoghnus, Tehran. (Original work published 1978) [In Persian]

Azizollahi, F. (2017). Intellectual friendship and social solidarity: A comparative study of the views of Jacques Derrida and Jürgen Habermas (Master’s thesis, Kharazmi University, Tehran). [In Persian]

Barzegar, I. (2014). Imam Khomeini's political thought: Politics as Sirat. Samt, Tehran. [In Persian]

Barzegar, I. (2023). Sirat, policy making, and political understanding in the thought of Ayatollah Khamenei. Islamic Revolution Publications, Tehran. [In Persian]

Bayat Sarmedi, V. (2022). The concept of friendship in the political thought of Ibn Miskawayh of Ray and Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi (Master’s thesis, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran). [In Persian]

Hamledari, S., & Fazli, S. A. (2023). A comparative study of the views of Ghazali and Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi on the cause and object of friendship. Social Theories of Muslim Thinkers, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran. [In Persian]

Haqiqat, S. S. (2012). Methodology of political science. University of Mofid, Qom. [In Persian]

Hosseini, M. S. F. A., & Hosseini, G. (2007). Introduction to Muslim philosophers: Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi. Kanun-e Andishe Javan, Tehran. [In Persian]

Imam Khomeini. (2010). Sahifeh Noor (Vols. 1–22). Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works, Tehran. [In Persian]

Iman, M. T. (2017). Philosophy of research methodology in the human sciences (4th ed.). Research Institute of Seminary and University, Qom. [In Persian]

Kalbasi, H., Elyan, M., & Mehrabi, E. (2016). A comparative study of the ethical thoughts of Aristotle and Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi. Philosophy of Religion, 13. [In Persian]

Kashani, A., Rokui, M., & Nasrtian, M. (2020). The role of human will in affection from the perspective of Islamic ethics. Philosophy of Religion, 9(1), Autumn/Winter. [In Persian]

Manouchehri, A. (2005). Friendship in political philosophy. Research in Political Science, 1. [In Persian]

Manouchehri, A. (2015). Approach and method in political science. Samt, Tehran. [In Persian]

Mortezavi, R. (2009). Derrida's political philosophy (Master’s thesis, University of Isfahan). [In Persian]

Nouriyan, H. (2015). A comparative study of the views of Khajeh Nizam al-Mulk Tusi and Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi (Master’s thesis, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch). [In Persian]

Pourjavadi, N., & Pourjavadi, Z. (2000). The scholar of Tus. University Publication Center, Tehran. [In Persian]

Razavi, S. A. (2010). Social classes in the view of Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi. Islamic Studies, 42(2), Autumn/Winter. [In Persian]

Tabatabaei, S. J. (2021). The decline of political thought in Iran. Minuye Kherad, Tehran. [In Persian]

Tusi, Kh. N. (1982). Awsaf al-Ashraf [Characteristics of the Nobles]. Imam Publications, Mashhad. [In Persian]

Tusi, Kh. N. (1992). Akhlaq-e Nasiri [Nasir's Ethics]. Islamic Scientific Publications, Tehran. [In Persian]

Yousefi Rad, M. (1999). The theory of the state in the political thought of Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi (Master’s thesis, Baqer al-Olum Higher Education Institute, Tehran). [In Persian]

Yousefi Rad, M. (2004). The place of politics in the works of Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi. Political Science Journal, 25. [In Persian]

Yousefi Rad, M. (2022). The political thought of Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi. Boustan-e Ketab, Qom. [In Persian]

Zaghari, T., Bakhshayeshi Ardastani, A., & Ashraf, A. (2020). Political ethics from the perspective of two Islamic thinkers: Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi and Khajeh Nizam al-Mulk. Journal of Political Studies of the Islamic World, 10(3), Autumn. [In Persian]

Zokayi, M. S. (2020). The art of conducting qualitative research: From problem identification to writing. Agaah, Tehran. [In Persian]

Journal of Social Theories of Muslim Thinkers

The Politics of Friendship in the Political Thought of Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi

References

References

Volume 15, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 64-80

The Politics of Friendship in the Political Thought of Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi

References

References

Volume 15, Issue 1March 2025Pages 64-80

Volume 15, Issue 1
March 2025
Pages 64-80