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© 2018 Ali Hussain Ali Alhbabi All Rights Reserved © 2018 ALI HUSSAIN ALI ALHBABI ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE COMPARATIVE POLITICAL THEORY OF ANTI-MODERNITY: LEO STRAUSS AND SAYYID QUTB CONCEPTIONS OF THE POST-LIBERAL WORLD By ALI HUSSAIN ALI ALHBABI A Dissertation submitted to the School of Graduate Studies Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Political Science Written under the direction of Professor Eric Davis and Professor Andrew R. Murphy And approved by _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey May, 2018 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION THE COMPARATIVE POLITICAL THEORY OF ANTI-MODERNITY: LEO STRAUSS AND SAYYID QUTB CONCEPTIONS OF THE POST-LIBERAL WORLD By: ALI HUSSAIN ALI ALHBABI Dissertation Directors: Professor Eric Davis and Professor Andrew R. Murphy In this dissertation, I will investigate Western and non-Western critiques of modernity as exemplified in the political thought of Leo Strauss and Sayyid Qutb. Many scholars argue that Strauss offered two solutions to the modernity problem: one is purely Philosophical, and the other is a combination of theology and philosophy. However, I argue that Strauss proposed a third and fourth solutions to resolve this problem: reviving the classical political philosophy and reconciliation between religion and philosophy. In addition, in this dissertation I argue that Qutb may be considered a Straussian thinker based on particular similarities between the two philosophers’ political theories on anti-modernity. In this study I aim to answer the following questions: What are the common problems in Strauss and Qutb’s political thought? Does Strauss provide one or multiple answers to the crisis ii of Western modernity? How can comparative political theory help us explain and understand postmodern alternatives, such as Islamism? Does Qutb fit the criteria for a Straussian thinker? Is Strauss a Qutbian thinker? In this dissertation, I utilize comparative political theory as a methodology that can enable us, as students of politics, to compare the political thought of Strauss and Qutb and to make it possible to establish a dialogue between them. This comparison will be based on how Strauss and Qutb conceptualize Western modernity as a problematic element in contemporary political and philosophical life. iii Acknowledgement First, my deepest appreciation and gratitude go to my advisors, Professors Eric Davis and Andrew R. Murphy, for their support, and encouragement during my studies at Rutgers University–New Brunswick and the process of writing this dissertation. I am fortunate to have had such experienced and knowledgeable advisors to help me face the challenges I encountered. I am indebted to my PhD committee members, Professors Eric Davis, Andrew R. Murphy, Drucilla Cornell, and Michaelle Browers, for their guidance, suggestions, and comments. I would also like to thank Professor Cornell for her advises, encouragement and support. I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity to co-teach a graduate course with Professor Cornell: Advanced Topics in Public Law: Islamic Political Thought, African Law and Ethics. I am immensely grateful to Wadha, Reema, and Sarah for their patience, support, and encouragement. Also, I am indebted to my parents, without whose support and prayers this work would not exist. Special thanks go to Dr. Farah Jan for her support, comments, and discussions. Many thanks to my uncle Abdulla Alhbabi for his help in organizing an interview with Dr. Muhammad Shahrour. Finally, I would like to thank our graduate program office’s coordinator, Paulette Flowers- Yhap, for her help and advice. I also want to thank all my friends and others who contributed to making this dissertation possible. iv Dedication To my loving wife Wadha Alhanaee and my two wonderful daughters, Reema and Sarah, for their sacrifices and support during my PhD journey. To my parents and grandparents v Table of Contents The Abstract of the Dissertation ……………………………………………………………………ii Acknowledgment ………………………………………………..………………………………………iv Dedication ……………………………………………………….…………………………………………v Table of Content ………………………………………………..……………………………………….vi List of Tables …………………..…………………………………………………………………….….vii Chapter One: Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………1 Chapter Two: Comparative Political Theory as Methodology ………………………….27 Chapter Three: Political Theory of Leo Strauss ……………………………………………..73 Chapter Four: Sayyid Qutb Political Theory of Jahiliyah ……………………………..147 Chapter Five: Leo Strauss and Sayyid Qutb: Face to Face …………………………….201 Chapter Six: Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………241 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………………………………251 vi List of Tables Table 1 Comparison of Islamic and Islamic Political Thought …………………………14 Table 2 Comparative Political Theory Approaches ………………………………………..51 vii 1 Chapter One: Introduction Purpose of the study This study seeks to examine Western and non-Western alternatives to Western modernity1 and to provide a more accurate understanding the political theory of Leo Strauss by rethinking his solutions to the crisis of the modernity. More importantly, it seeks to understand whether Strauss offered more than one solution to the problem of modernity2. Additionally, this dissertation will explore the political thought of Sayyid Qutb and try to answer the question of whether Qutb is a Straussian thinker. This study will provide an interpretation that challenges the previous literature on political Islam, Islamism, and Straussian studies using the methodology of comparative political theory. Significance of the study Distinguishing between Islamist and Islamic political thought is methodologically significant because it clarifies the roots of each type of political thought. Moreover, it helps 1 In this dissertation, Western modernity means the political and philosophical thought that shaped the modern Western world. According to thinkers such as Leo Strauss, Western modernity began when Niccolo Machiavelli rejected ancient political philosophy, which, according to him, could not help us explain and understand the modern world. (See Strauss, 1989, Three Waives of Modernity) 2 Modernity constitutes a problem for many thinkers and philosophers including Strauss, Hannah Arendt, Eric Voeglein, and Sayyid Qutb. For Strauss, modernity rejects ancient political philosophy and makes the modern man unable to know what he or she wants to achieve. Therefore, modernity represents a crisis for contemporary human beings. However, Qutb views modernity as a threat to the Islamic world because it marginalizes the role of religion in public life. 2 us determine the character of thought that gave rise to concerns about modernity and ongoing political debates over Islam and democracy, etc.. It is important to distinguish between Strauss and Straussians. Differentiating among these terms will shed light on the development of Strauss’s political thought and how interpretations by some of Strauss’s followers could create a different kind of Straussianism. This distinction will help us understand why Strauss could have more than one answer to the question of the crisis of modernity, given that many Straussians would suggest that Strauss proposed that ancient philosophy (i.e., practical wisdom) is the solution to the dilemma of the modern world. This dissertation also incorporates a methodology that is significant for the field of political theory and political science. Importantly, it is one of the few studies that have used a comparative approach to study anti-modern political theories, underscoring the importance of emerging methodological awareness in comparative political theory. In addition, using comparative methodology in studying political theory offers an important opportunity to develop innovative responses to old questions, such as: What is the best political regime? How can we achieve a just society? These and other questions appeared in both Qutb’s writings and Strauss’s political and philosophical works. Questions of the study This dissertation aims to answer the following questions: 1. Does Strauss provide one or multiple answers to the crisis of Western modernity? 2. What are the common problems in Strauss and Qutb’s political thought? 3. What is comparative political theory (CPT) and how can CPT help us explain and understand postmodern alternatives, such as Islamism? 3 4. How Islamists reacts to the challenges of political modernity? 5. What are the differences and similarities in Strauss and Qutb’s critiques of Western modernity? 6. Does Qutb fit the criteria of a Straussian thinker? 7. Is Strauss a Qutbian thinker? 8. Who, exactly, is in a problematic position with Western modernity? Islamic political thought or Islamist political thought? Islam or Islamism? Literature review This dissertation will make a positive contribution in the literature in that it will enhance the development of comparative political theory studies in the field of political theory. Moreover, it will explore new aspects of the political thought of Strauss and Qutb by establishing an intellectual dialogue between these two influential anti-modern scholars. The literature on Strauss and Qutb is rich. First, I explore the works of comparative political theory and examine how this literature will serve as a methodological tool to conduct a comparison between Leo Strauss and Sayyid Qutb. Moreover, a critical analysis of CPT will help provide us with an alternative understanding
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