Assignment task: Hello I need to respond back to this student's discussion about philosopher Al-Farabi:
Essentially, religion and philosophy aim at the same goal of a hypothetical product that is elaborated through theoretical and deliberative virtues. In other words, political philosophy and religion are intertwined in the sense that they collectively make up a utopian project for the development of a society that leads to happiness. Now the way philosophy and religion go about instructing the theoretical virtues in nations and cities is what sets them apart. Philosophy comes before religion as it hones in on logic by providing knowledge to perceive ideas without the unnecessary use of persuasion. On the other hand, religion employs a metaphor to comprehend a notion, implying an additional effort to prove the argument viable.
Since instruction proceeds by speech, the responsibility to introduce it "should be given to either imam and the princes, or else to those who should preserve the theoretical sciences"(30). By doing so, they can correctly rule and develop the virtue of the city, for they should understand how it derives the theory of virtues from ultimate principles. It is important to note that Al- Farabi views a philosopher, supreme leader, legislator, and imam all as a single idea, they are simply synonyms that alter in context depending on who they are aiming to teach.