Political Philosophy in the East and West

Jaan S. Islam is a research associate at Emertec R&D based in Halifax, Canada. He has been active in research on topics ranging from international relations to political theory, and is the Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Political Theory. His previous works include Reconstituting the Curriculum (New York: Wiley, 2013), as well as papers in philosophy, history, political science, and comparative religion. His latest book on international relations and terrorism is entitled True Islam, Jihad, and Terrorism: the Science of Islamic Foreign Policy (New York: Nova Publishers, 2016).

In the 21st century, amid converging global political, social, and economic forces we are questioning the fundamental values we hold true, driven by an antagonism between different schools of philosophy-between left- and right-wing politics. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of western political philosophy and underlines the core principles of each argument. It then argues that neither have we solved nor do we have any pathway to eventually solve, the question of right and wrong-we are essentially moral relativists in disguise. In order to break out of this cycle of uncertainty, the book proposes a solution of knowledge-based cognition: policy based on a concrete and proven understanding of an absolute and certain body of truths. This requires an analysis and blending of non-western political philosophical traditions, such as those espoused by Islam and Confucianism. This book gives an original critique of western political philosophy and is the first book to engage in a reconstruction of Islamic political philosophy.