An Ideal Type for Islamic Revolution Ideology
As it was said earlier, any revolution must possess a System of thought that forms its intellectual and theoretical foundations. In other words, the thoughts and causes are always part of pre-revolution requirements without which there will be no revolution. This, of course, does not mean the System of thought is the creator of revolutions and that any revolution can be prevented by blocking its stream of thought. Rather, it means thoughts constitute part of the variables in analyzing the collective behavior of the masses. On this basis, this study is to find the intellectual reflections that came to being before the victory of Islamic Revolution and prepared the minds of the masses for a revolution. Then we want to respond to the important question of whether the plan for post-revolution society and social engineering existed or not. We have admitted to the truth of Islamic Revolution irrespective of its causes, procedures and results. We only want to find the thoughts that formed the intellectual and theoretical backup of the Islamic Revolution and we have called them "the thoughts behind Islamic Revolution" that is like an intellectual System. In this System we have presented the ideal type for Islamic thought and its indicators to have a criterion for comparing and contrasting the principles of various intellectual circles in Iran to see which one suits our ideal type. Any intellectual movement closer to the ideal type will be naturally closer to the intellectual foundation of the Islamic Revolution. Given our previous theoretical discussion on intellectual and theoretical foundations of the Islamic Revolution, we can consider Islamic Revolution reflections like an intellectual System or a System of thought presented by the intellectuals of the society in the form of a consolidated theory to be followed by the people and the supporters of Islamic Revolution. This intellectual System should be able to while conducting theoretical and rational studies on social problems, present the problem and pertinent solutions by philosophical and non-philosophical ways. It should be also able to present a specific school of thought for the people containing the whys and wherefores for rejecting the royal System and its values, to find faults with other rival ideologies and make a picture - however general- of the future Islamic government.
This school of thought - which is indeed the intellectual basis for the Islamic Revolution -- should present a clear-cut ideology and strategy, and a practical program for toppling down the regime. As for reconstruction, it should lay the desirable foundations for replacing the cornerstones of values in future society and present a practical way for realizing the goals that sure it will do.
Source: Echo of Islam Magazine
Other links:
Return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Iran
Culmination and Victory of the Islamic Revolution
Concept Behind the Islamic Republic Of Iran
Khomeini shakes the World
