Thought

The Journey Through Life, And Out Of Life

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When one examines the characters of different civilizations, one begins to notice commonalities of concern.  That is, recurring patterns.  Especially in the most ancient of civilizations.  There is this obsession with capturing the Spirit of Life, mastering its principles, and using that Mastery as a sort of pole-vault—if you will—to leap over the Wall of Life into the realm of the After-Life.  Look at those old Assyrian stone reliefs, showing the bearded kings pollinating their date-plants, which were the staff of life in the ancient Near East.  Look at the pharaoh smiting his enemies with a mace, and enjoying every minute of it.  Mastering life in order to master death, in other words.

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Rejecting Cynicism And Nihilism, And Embracing An Ennobling Vision

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It is the responsibility of every man to keep himself out of the abyss.  Yet he cannot do this job alone; a set of guiding principles must light the way along the dark and confusing pathways of the forest.  In some cases, he must be hectored, badgered, cajoled, and—in the end—forced to keep along the path; in other cases, he need only be guided by gentle instruction in the illuminating lights of philosophical inquiry.  Every situation is different, and calls for different remedies.

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Military Adventurism Brings Disaster To The Reckless

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , , ,

In the year 1260, Tuscany was engulfed in war.  The cities of Florence and Siena were engaged in mutual hostilities.  About twenty-five miles from Siena was located the small town of Montalcino, which happened to be a friend and ally of Florence.  The Sienese hoped that by staging an attack on Montalcino they might be able to compel the Florentines to send an expedition for its relief–an expedition that, they hoped, they could lure into a trap.  To this end, the Sienese government publicly announced their intention to move against Montalcino, and watched to see what the Florentine response would be.

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A Jaguar Hunt On The Taquary, And The Precepts Of Pythagoras

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Every man is a jumble of paradoxes.  The same man can harbor sentiments of the noblest, most generous, and elevated type; and at the same time, he can retain the capability to deliver lethal blows for necessity or sport.  It is almost as if the altruist or artist needs a bit of tempering with a dash of Tamerlane.  Consider Theodore Roosevelt, the president generally considered the primary voice of conservationism in the twentieth century.

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The Hand Of Ibn Muqla: Do Not Envy Those Who Wield Power

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There was once a government official and literary figure of the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad named Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muqla al-Shiraz.  He is known to history as Ibn Muqla, and he lived from about A.D. 885 to 940.  According to his biographer Ibn Khallikan, Ibn Muqla began his government service career as a tax collector in the city of Fars.

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The Meaning Of Self-Denial: The Herdsman And The Monk

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One of the primary virtues that Ibn Zafar believes a good leader should possess is the virtue of self-denial.  In Arabic this word is زهد, or “renunciation” of worldly things.  What he means by this is that no leader–or any other person, for that matter–can ever become truly great until he learns how to subordinate his desires in the face of higher purposes.

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The Tale Of The Two Foxes

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Ibn Zafar’s well of wisdom provides us with another fable to ponder.  How the reader relates it to his or her own life experience, or to the world’s current events, will be up to him or her to decide.  While the narrative below is my own, I have also included some of Ibn Zafar’s quotes (as translated by J. Kechichian and R. Dekmejian–with minor variations by me–in their excellent edition of the Sulwan Al-Muta’) as they appear at relevant points in the story.

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The Tale Of Firuz, A King Of Persia

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The following story is told by the political theorist Ibn Zafar (1104–1172?) in his treatise on the art of government.  We have encountered him several times previously in these pages, and have discussed many of his ideas on leadership, governance, and the conduct of foreign affairs.  There are times when anecdotes can bring certain principles into sharp focus.

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The Final Act Of All Is Never Considered Late

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It is a feature of human nature to try to control our environment.  We wish to exert some kind of influence over the outcome of events, and thereby enhance our own feelings of security and comfort.  Yet there are many times when human labor will fall short; it will prove itself to be incapable of dealing with a situation, or unable to weigh the nuances of an evenly balanced pattern of fact.  When these situations come about, we must step back from the work-shop; we must move away from the work-table, the field of conflict, or the courtroom, and Fortune take over the guidance of events.

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The Tale Of The Two Ministers: Redemption Through Patience And Faith

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The following tale is told by Ibn Zafar al-Siqilli (“The Sicilian”) in his political and ethical treatise سلوان المطاع في عدوان الأتباع (The Consolation of the Ruler in Dealing with His Subjects’ Hostility).  The story’s purpose is to emphasize the importance that faith and endurance play in the fates of princes.  We should note that Ibn Zafar does not advocate a passive resignation or inaction in the face of hardship.  Instead he counsels us to do all we can to resolve our problems; but once one has exhausted his actionable remedies, he must submit himself to the workings of Fate.  In this he is very much like the Stoic sages who preceded him by so many centuries.

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