نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسنده English
Broadly speaking, there are two interpretations of the concept of democracy among theorists: (1) Democracy as a form of government and a method of governance. In this view, democracy is not an end in itself and does not possess inherent value; rather, it is a tool for one of the following purposes: "realization or activation of government," "its survival and continuity," "the stability of government and its avoidance of crises," "the effectiveness and efficiency of governance," and "legitimacy (acceptance) and justification of government from an external observer’s perspective." (2) Democracy as a philosophy and basis of governance. In this interpretation, democracy is, in itself, an end or one of the goals of government, possessing intrinsic value and serving as a factor in legitimizing and justifying governance. In this regard, the main question of this study is: What constitutes the ideal state in the theories of religious democracy that adhere to the guardianship of the jurisprudent (wilayat al-faqih)? The research method is descriptive-analytical, demonstrating that the views of Shia scholars concerning the ideal state in the era of occultation, compatible with the theory of religious democracy and guardianship of the jurisprudent, are presented in two main forms: a) The theory that bases the state's religious legitimacy on appointment by God, the Prophet (PBUH), and the Infallible Imams (AS). In this view, the ideal state is one that solely has divine legitimacy, and public acceptance does not play a role in its inherent desirability. b) The theory that bases the state's religious legitimacy on both divine and popular elements. In this view, democracy forms a foundational and value-based dimension of the Islamic state, without which the Islamic nature of the political system remains incomplete, and, in other words, the political system does not become ideal.
کلیدواژهها English
