Thought

The Wisdom Of Ibn Tumart: Until You Can Change Things, You Must Endure Them

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

The founder of the Almohad movement–a puritanical reformist school originating in North Africa–was a man named Ibn Tumart (أبو عبد الله محمد ابن تومرت).  The historians tell us that he was a Berber from the Atlas Mountains in what is now southern Morocco, and that he lived from 1080 to about 1130.  The biographer Ibn Khallikan relates numerous anecdotes about him that center on his strictness and piety.  As is often the case with such anecdotes, however, we may sift through them and find something useful for our own lives.

Continue reading →

Decisive Action In An Emergency Can Always Be Justified

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , , ,

There are some who take a relaxed view of human intervention in the events of Fate.  They believe that nascent crises can be placed on the “back burner,” so to speak, and left to stew in their own juices until a reasonable solution presents itself.  They say that one should monitor developments, stay informed of the shifting winds, and act when one can be reasonably certain of a favorable outcome.

Continue reading →

The Importance Of Knowing What Boundaries Should Not Be Crossed

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

One of the characteristics of the fool is his inability to comprehend the idea of boundaries.  He has failed to learn what rules of conduct can, and cannot, be broken.  He flaunts his whims and desires without any care as to their consequences; he rates his own judgment above that of all others, and scorns the normative guidelines of social interaction.  He believes that what he wishes to be done, in fact ought to be done, and reverse-engineers whatever rationalizations are needed to vindicate his behavior.

Continue reading →

Some Battles Are Worth Fighting, And Others Are Not

Quintus Curtius Thought, Uncategorized , , ,

Historical opinion is often divided on the subject of famous military commanders.  The good favor of historians may be divided with regard to their abilities, their judgments, and their battlefield results; and this favor can shift with time as readily as sand drifts aggregate and dissipate in the desert.  Douglas MacArthur is one example.  Some see him as a brilliant strategist and tactician, using sophisticated combinations to outflank and out-maneuver his opponents; others see only a vain egoist whose achievements were obscured by his personal flaws.

Continue reading →

Reversal Of Fortune: The Fate Of Al-Mu’tamid Ibn Abbad, Ruler Of Seville

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , , , ,

Al-Mu’tamid ibn Abbad (المعتمد بن عباد) lived from 1040 to 1095 and was the last ruler of the Abbadid kingdom of Seville.  He was raised under the fold of royalty, and enjoyed the pleasures and good fortunes that come to young princes.  In 1069, upon the death of his father Abbad al-Mu’tadid, he inherited the dominion of Seville; his domain included a large part of southern Spain.

Continue reading →

Ibn Zafar’s Ideas On Revolutions

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

A careful reading of Ibn Zafar al-Siqilli’s (“The Sicilian”) masterpiece of political philosophy Sulwan al-Muta’ (سلوان المطاع في عدوان الأتباع, or The Consolation of the Ruler in Dealing with the Hostility of His Subjects) shows an emergent theory of political revolutions.  In a previous article here we have discussed the fundamentals of the subtle Sicilian’s treatise.  We will now give the details of his ideas on how revolutions are born and take hold in a nation.

Continue reading →

Bad Character Will Inevitably Bring Consequences

Quintus Curtius History, Thought , ,

The historian Ammianus, in describing the brief career of the usurper Procopius (326–366 A.D.), comments on the moral corruption inevitably caused by the abuse of power and privilege.  It will have a familiar ring to those accustomed to the practices of contemporary politics:

Continue reading →

The Counsel Of Helios To A Noble Youth

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

There is a fable told in the Roman emperor Julian’s oration To the Cynic Heracleios that is worth relating and discussing.  The fable is rather involved, but we will extract its relevant parts here.  The god Hermes once appeared before a youth who, though virtuous and good, was having some difficulties in life.  Hermes said to the young man:

Continue reading →

Ibn Zafar’s Principles Of Power And Success In Leadership

Quintus Curtius Thought , , ,

We have previously mentioned the political philosopher Ibn Zafar Al-Siqilli (“The Sicilian”), who lived from 1104 to about 1171.  Very little is known of his early life; his entry in Ibn Khallikan’s Biographical Dictionary reveals little more than a few sad anecdotes.  We do know that he was born under the Norman rule of Sicily, and received a good education in Mecca in Arabia.  A period of wandering followed, which ended around 1150 when he secured a teaching position in Aleppo, Syria.  When war broke out in Syria, Ibn Zafar moved back to Sicily; some years later he moved back to Syria, ultimately residing in Hama, where he died around 1172.

Continue reading →

Michael Crichton On The Masculine Virtues Of Sean Connery

Quintus Curtius Film, Thought , ,

In his 1988 memoir Travels, author Michael Crichton recalls the time he spent with actor Sean Connery during the shooting of the film The Great Train Robbery in Ireland in 1978.  Crichton, the famed author of Jurassic Park, Sphere, Congo, Disclosure, and a number of other popular novels, was also once a film director.  Connery was the star of The Great Train Robbery, and Crichton clearly was in awe of the volcanic Scotsman.  The anecdotes he relates of Connery’s masculine charisma make it clear that men today can learn a great deal from him.

Continue reading →