The History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present [Paperback]

Antony Black (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0415932432 | ISBN-13: 978-0415932431

The History of Islamic Political Thought offers a full description and an interpretation of political philosophy from early Islam to the current age of Fundamentalism (622 AD to 2000 AD). Antony Black takes the same approach as scholars usually do for the history of Western political thought, examining the mentality, cultural milieu, and political background of thinkers and statesmen. He covers the relationship of politics to religion, law, ethics, philosophy, and statecraft, as expressed through treatises, occasional writings, official rhetoric, popular slogans, and other evidence of how people thought about authority and order.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is an outstanding and most welcome book. Since its first publication in 2001, Islam and its corollaries of Islamism and Islamophobia have become household words and everyday currency in Western media. Unfortunately, the upsurge of rhetoric is not equivalent to any substantial knowledge in this area. Fortunately, this revised and updated edition of the text can remedy the pervasive historical and intellectual knowledge gaps. Antony Black, one of the most renowned historians of intellectual and religious ideas, offers us a guide to a complex but crucially important topic in our time. His book deserves the widest possible readership. -- Fred Dallmayr, author of Dialogue Among Civilizations This is an outstanding and most welcome book. Since its first publication in 2001, Islam and its corollaries of Islamism and Islamophobia have become household words and everyday currency in Western media. Unfortunately, the upsurge of rhetoric is not equivalent to any substantial knowledge in this area. Fortunately, this revised and updated edition of the text can remedy the pervasive historical and intellectual knowledge gaps. Antony Black, one of the most renowned historians of intellectual and religious ideas, offers us a guide to a complex but crucially important topic in our time. His book deserves the widest possible readership. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Professor Antony Black has lectured in Politics at University of Dundee from 1963 until retirement in 2000, covering most aspects of political theory from Plato to contemporary international relations and social philosophy. Done research on and published on wide range of topics from medieval ecclesiastical theories to contemporary political philosophy. 1975-76 Visiting associate professor, School of Government and Public Administration, The American University, Washington DC., USA. 1980-81 Senior Research Fellow, Nuffield Foundation. March-April 1993 Visiting Professor, Faculty of Jurisprudence, University of Trento, Italy. 1993-7. Head of Dept. of Politics, University of Dundee 1995-9 Book Review Editor of Early Modern History: Contacts, Contrasts and Comparisons (Brill). --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (July 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415932432
• ISBN-13: 978-0415932431
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rare Masterpiece, May 8, 2008

By 

S. Wyllie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of Islamic Political Thought (Paperback)

I stumbled upon this book for one of my early research papers about Islam, and I was amazed. This is truly an academically honest masterpiece. It covers everything from the political system created in Islam right after Muhammad's death to the contemporary Salafi movement including the work of Maududi, Qutb, and Khomeini. It also references common hadiths, fikh, and the Sira, which is a breath of freash air because recently everybody believes they are an Islamic scholar but they've only remotely studied books about the Qur'an (not even the Qur'an itself, seriously it's frustrating in academia).

The bottom line is if you're a student (informal or formal) of Middle Eastern and Islamic politics you need this book.