Islamic traditional liberalism: a universal alternative to Rawlsian political theory

Abstract

The Shift towards secularism in European political heritage resulted from a tradition in which different versions of Christianity vied for existence and political influence. This tradition resulted in the birth of European modernity. Immanuel Kant, the predecessor of John Rawls, played a role in the secularization process of modern Western liberty. Traditional Islam, with its own metaphysical conception, encourages reform, acts as an anti-thesis to modernity and the post-enlightenment politics. This is the foundation of contemporary political Islam, which is based on a universal methodology and provides an alternative to Rawlsian political theory. The methodology of political Islam includes liberal concepts and develops them through the metaphysical truth of the Qur an and prophetic tradition. This is demonstrated through the analysis of 'everyday' practice and its results. Contemporary political Islam has developed from the experiences of traditional Islam and its concepts of liberty through its existence in and interactions with Western liberal states. The contemporary Arab springs are part of this process. In Islamic history, Muslim empires, such as Andalusia in Spain and Ottomans in Constantinople, strived with scientific revolution and liberal concepts working hand in hand with the practice and result of metaphysics. This thesis refuses to explain Islam as a subject of the Rawlsian political theory. Chapter one defines the Islamic tradition. Chapter two demonstrates the flaws of Rawlsian liberal political theory rendering it coercive, without justification, for Muslim citizens. Chapter three then defines the Rawlsian proposal of An-Na'im and other contemporary writers in light of this comparison. Reference is made to philosophers who claimed the Islamic argument but let go of some of its basic principles including Qur anic text and prophetic tradition in order to re-conciliate with Rawlsian political liberalism. Chapter four outlines the contemporary, liberal alternative to the Rawlsian liberal political theory. In that last chapter we explain how the contract between agents of differing conceptions is part of a universal procedure. This is Islamic constructivism, a Liberal alternative to a coercive Rawlsian speculative conception and limited Kantian constructivism.