Al-Farabi's Spectrums in the Virtuous City

Author: Dr. Hassan Majeed Al-Obaidi

Our re-reading of the text of the book "Opinions of the People of the Virtuous City," compared to previous readings by scholars and researchers, lies in highlighting the problematic nature that characterized Al-Farabi's philosophy within it. Most scholars of Al-Farabi's philosophy, based on "The Opinions," have circled the book and focused attention solely on the metaphysical aspect, by researching his emanationist philosophy, explaining God's relationship to the world, how beings emanate from the First, and what His attributes are. They define the division of existence into necessary being, which is God, whose attribute is necessary existence and has no cause, and contingent being, which is the sum of the world. They also stop to refer to the socio-political aspect in the book by discussing humanity and society, the necessity of human association, presenting the qualities of the ruler of the Virtuous City, the characteristics of this city, and the ethics of its people, while also referring to the antitheses of the Virtuous City, which are the fallen or non-virtuous cities, and addressing the extent of Al-Farabi's influence by other philosophers who preceded him in this field, particularly the Greeks.