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Al Farabi and Plato
Al Farabi and Plato
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FAROUK A. S AN KARI
. . . so, having all these needs, we call on one another's help to satisfy our various
Some human societies are large, others are of medium size, still others are small.
The large societies consist of many nations that associate and cooperate with
one another ; the medium ones consist of a nation ; the small are the ones embraced
by the city. These three are the perfect societies. Hence the city represents the
first degree of perfection.2
1 See F. M. Cornford, The Republic of Plato (Oxford etc. II, 367E, p. $6.
2 Mahdi, Siyasah Almadaniyjah , in: Medieval Political Philosophy , Glencoe, 1963, p. 32.
3 Alfarabi distinguishes between true happiness and imaginary happiness.
4 Almadinah Alfadilah , p. 97.
s Republic , XII, 433A, p. 127.
6 Alfarabi, Fusul Almadani , edited and translated by D. M. Dunlop, Cambridge, 1961, p. 37.
As for the citizens of the ignorant cities, they are political beings. Their cities
and their political associations are of many kinds, which comprise (i) indispensable
associations, (ii) the association of vile men in the vile cities, (iii> the association
of base men in the base cities, (iv) timocratic association in the timocratic city,
(v) despotic association in the despotic city, (vi) free association in the democratic
city and the city of the free. 3
1 Republic V, 417C-487.
2 Republic VI, 487-497.
3 Tahsil Aha* adah y p. 80.
4 Ibid.
s Ibid.