Summary
Al-Farabi: The Exemplary State
The greatest good and greatest perfection is first realized in the state, not in a society that would be smaller than it. Since the nature of true good is to be achieved by decision and will, and evil happens only by will and decision, the state can also exist for the sake of cooperation in achieving some purposes that are evil. That is why bliss cannot be achieved in every state. A state that is established for the purpose of cooperation in matters that achieve true bliss is a model state, and a society in which cooperation is achieved for the purpose of achieving bliss is a model society. A larger community in which all its cities work together to achieve bliss is a model larger community. Likewise, an exemplary civilization will emerge only when wider national and religious communities cooperate in it to achieve bliss.
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