Lantern

Ayman Aborabh

Description

A strikingnew book about Western Philosophy and the Arab Spring that dares to askreaders, if you don't understand the essential tenets of freedom and democracy,what are you fighting for?The Lantern is apolitical and philosophical think piece, exploring the complex issues that haveprevented real change in current Arabian states. The author opensgroundbreaking new thinking by challenging readers to embrace westernphilosophy and adapt them to the current realities and politics in the Arabworld.With candorand a good dose of humour, the author illuminates his arguments by examiningHobbes, Plato, Burke, Machiavelli, and how they would examine the currentpolitical scene inside Arabian states. The Lantern alsofeatures two "ordinary" Arabian citizens arguing the essential questions aboutfreedom, democracy and their own realities. Written in a hip and in-the-momentstyle, the book is an ideal University course book or Independent bookshop andlibrary buy. The authoralso regularly posts videos to his popular YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/omelseiasa) where he discusses these compelling topics. The Lantern shines a fresh new light on Arab politics in a gripping new book aboutknowledge, aspiration that readers will instantly understand and connect with.

Informations

• Publié par: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 28 avril 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781788034937
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

THE LANTERN

Political Philosophy
& The Arab Spring





Ayman Aborabh
Copyright © 2018 Ayman Aborabh

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.


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ISBN 9781788034937

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.


Matador® is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd
To my father, who taught me how to read and think; and to my mother, who taught me how to love and give
Contents
Introduction

Part 1 The Arabian Context

Chapter 1 The Early Social Contract
The state of nature
Hobbes and the phrase ‘better than Syria and Iraq’
Burke and how to dismiss change

Chapter 2 Is it a modern social contract?
Services to justify the state
The do-it-yourself state
The value of money
Robert Nozick and the minimal state
Law enforcement

Chapter 3 The actual social contract
The modern social contract
The ‘client’ social contract in the Gulf
The ‘sheep’ social contractin the Arab Spring states

Chapter 4 How to rule the state
Machiavelli and how to rule
Platonic ideology and the core of Arabian politics
Plato’s ideology in the Middle East
Criticisms of Plato’s ideology

Chapter 5 The pre-modern state
The dynastic state and the modern state
Political sectarianism and the modern state
Lebanon as a means to understand political sectarianism
How authoritarian regimes destroy nations

Chapter 6 Adding Islam to the mix
Islam and the state
Democracy and Islam
Resurrected in the Middle East
Dismissing claims and the term ‘civil state’

Chapter 7 Changing the Arabian context
Politics as a modern science
The Western Enlightenment and politics
Why Arabs shouldn’t just copy
The mysterious word ‘democracy’


Part 2 The Lantern and the Western Model

Chapter 8 Another root of the social contract
Consent in the social contract of John Locke
Rousseau and the ‘general will’
Rousseau’s five guarantees for a true ‘general will’
Rousseau’s achievement over Plato
Challenges to Rousseau’s ‘general will’
Rousseau and the parliaments of his time
Evolution of the UK parliament in the 19th century
Same fear, different group, different era

Chapter 9 John Stuart Mill and elections
John Stuart Mill and representative government
Mill’s achievements and the ‘open poll’
Voting motivation
The role of the subject
The futility of debate about new electoral systems in the Middle East
Six guarantees for proper elections

Chapter 10 Legitimacy, dignity and the economy
Election as a tool for legitimacy and an indicator of mass satisfaction
Democracy and economy
Democracy and dignity

Chapter 11 Tools for education
Education and voting
Is school education the sole solution?
Freedom of speech as a tool for political education
More tools to educate the masses and produce future leaders
Civil society

Chapter 12 Montesquieu and guarantees
Do we need more guarantees?
Montesquieu and the separation of power
Building the three branches
Controlling the policy of the executive branch
Checks between the three branches
The value of the constitution
Does separation of power delay decision-making?
Government and the state

Chapter 13 The judiciary
The Arabian judiciary system
The rule of law
Police versus gangs
Arabian legitimacy issues (again)
Pillars for a better judiciary
The use of security forces as a symptom of failed policy

Chapter 14 The media
The media and political philosophy
The media and freedom of speech and expression
Traditional Arabian media
The effect of satellite TV
Social media as a game changer
Social media versus traditional media
Three phases of media development

Chapter 15 Classic utilitarianism and the minority
The end justifies the means, again?
Issues with classic utilitarian theory
All of us are in the minority
Representation of minorities
The bad reputation of minority and human rights
Systematic discrimination and exceptions
Classic utilitarian theory and morality
Personal and public spheres

Chapter 16 From darkness into light
The veil of ignorance
Two principles of justice
Criticism of Rawls’ theory

Acknowledgment

References
Introduction
What is Political Philosophy?
Why do we have elections? Why do most countries regularly put themselves through the same process, involving the mass media and party campaigns to encourage, and even beg people to vote? As a result of this flurry of activity – no matter how low the turnout – a small group of representatives gets elected by voters whom they have never actually met. These representatives go on to make major and minor decisions on behalf of everyone, even citizens who never vote or care about voting.
What does it mean to describe a state as democratic, authoritarian or secular? What do we mean by legitimacy? And why are public matters no longer decided the simple way they used to be, by a wise king presiding over a fair and effective government and everyone living happily ever after? Why is it not just about being ruled by a good sovereign anymore? Moreover, why do politicians attack the media when it interferes with what they want, yet love it when it goes after their political enemy? And why does any political decision take so long to become law, and why do the opposing sides never seem to like each other?
Why should we obey the state? From putting on car seatbelts and stopping at traffic lights to paying taxes and fighting in wars, what justifies a state in making such demands?
If you have to obey the state and its officials because of the services that it gives you in return, what happens if you live in a very poor state that gives you nothing? What happens if you are robbed or there are no hospitals or schools? Do you still have to obey the state then? Why do people you never voted for, and never will vote for, have the right to claim to represent you? And should you respect the outcome of any vote if you know that it has been influenced by less educated or emotional people? Why should you respect a vote that brings to power a bad politician who relies upon people’s emotions and manipulates the truth in order to win? What gives such a government or parliament legitimacy? If you disobey a particular law, why should this be punished in one state but tolerated in another? What gives the state the power to create laws and enforce them? And in return for what? Protection, services? Or is it what they call the social contract? If so, where is this contract that you never saw or signed?
Why do politicians around the world say almost the same things about justice, freedom, democracy, equality etc., but then implement policies that don’t reflect these ideals at all? What did these politicians intend to do in the first place?
If you have thought about such questions and other issues related to the state, political systems and institutions, the distribution of wealth, legitimacy, fair election, freedom of speech and separation of power, then you have already jumped into the ocean of political philosophy. In fact, before you even start to think about politics and party political agendas etc., you should really be thinking about the ideas behind them.
Political philosophy acts like a compass, guiding you in the desired direction, while leaving the precise details and the specific steps to be taken to the influence of circumstance. In other words, political philosophy cares about the basis for rule and the morality of policies. It asks questions and tries to find answers to them, answers that are the foundation for both politics and law. Political philosophy is all about the law of the laws.
Political philosophy won’t tell you what the proper tax rate should be. Neither will it tell you how much the state should spend on social insurance, how many members should be in the parliament, nor how power should be assigned in a presidential or parliamentary system. This is the job of such disciplines as political science or sociology. Political philosophy sets the rules that other sciences must follow.
Political philosophy can be seen as a branch of moral philosophy. It asks fundamental questions such as, Who gets what, and says whom? Such questions shed light on the basis of political power by identifying it, by looking at its limitations and how we distribute political power in society.
This opens the door to more questions, like What do we mean by “a state”? Who should govern the state? How should we choose the ruler? And based on what? We find ourselves considering the legitimacy of any authority, including how that authority was gained and how it is exerc