The History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present

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Edinburgh University Press, 2011 - History - 380 pages
A complete history of Islamic political thought from early Islam (c.622-661) to the present.This comprehensive overview describes and interprets all schools of Islamic political thought, their origins, inter-connections and meaning. It examines the Qur'an, the early Caliphate, classical Islamic philosophy, and the political culture of the Ottoman and other empires. Major thinkers such as Averroes (Ibn Rushd) and Ibn Taymiyya are covered as well as numerous lesser authors, and Ibn Khaldun is presented as one of the most original political theorists ever. It draws on a wide range of sources including writings on religion, law, philosophy and statecraft expressed in treatises, handbooks and political rhetoric.The new edition discusses and analyses the connections between religion and politics. It incorporates recent developments in Islamic political thought before and after 9/11 and ends with a critical survey of reformism (or modernism) and Islamism (or fundamentalism) from the late nineteenth century up to the present day.Key Features of the Second EditionRevised and updated throughoutA new final section on Islam and the WestNew bibliographies of primary and secondary sourcesOnly book to cover the whole of Islamic political thought, past and present

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About the author (2011)

Professor Antony Black lectured in Politics at University of Dundee from 1963 until retirement in 2000, covering most aspects of political theory from Plato to contemporary international relations and social philosophy. He has researched and published on a wide range of topics, from medieval ecclesiastical theories to contemporary political philosophy.1975-76: Visiting associate professor, School of Government and Public Administration, The American University, Washington DC, USA.1980-81: Senior Research Fellow, Nuffield Foundation, UK.March-April 1993: Visiting Professor, Faculty of Jurisprudence, University of Trento, Italy.1993-7: Head of the Department of Politics, University of Dundee, UK. 1995-9 Book Review Editor of Early Modern History: Contacts, Contrasts and Comparisons (Brill).

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