al-Siyasa li-Ibn Sina
- Author died
- 428 AH
- Editions
- Mu'assasat Shabab al-Jami'ah
al-Siyasa (also known as Risalat al-Siyasa, "Treatise on Governance and Household Management") is a short treatise on practical philosophy, domestic economy, and personal conduct by the philosopher and physician Ibn Sina (d. 428 AH / 1037 CE) . The text outlines the principles of hierarchical governance ranging from the mastery of one's own soul and finances to the management of household members, children, and servants .
Theoretical Foundations of Governance
The treatise opens with an exposition on the necessity of governance (wujub al-siyasa) rooted in human nature and social interdependence . Ibn Sina argues that God endowed humanity with intellect and speech, differentiating them from animals, while also making individuals unequal in intellect, wealth, and social standing . If all humans were rulers or equally wealthy, social cooperation would collapse through jealousy and conflict, leading to collective ruin; thus, disparities in condition serve as a mechanism for communal survival and mutual reliance .
Unlike animals, humans require fixed dwellings to store accumulated sustenance, which necessitates entrusting its protection to a spouse, leading to marriage, children, and the employment of domestic helpers . Consequently, every head of household acts as a shepherd over those under their care, requiring the same qualities of vigilance, discipline, and foresight demanded of supreme monarchs .
Structure and Chapters
The work is organized into detailed chapters treating specific domains of management:
- Self-Governance (Siyasat al-Rajul Nafsah): Governance begins with self-mastery, where the intellect acts as the governor and the base self (al-nafs al-ammara bi-l-su') is the subject to be disciplined . To correct personal flaws, one must examine them thoroughly rather than masking them superficiality . Because individuals are often blind to their own shortcomings, Ibn Sina recommends relying on an intelligent, candid friend who serves as an objective mirror . He highlights that rulers suffer most from a lack of honest feedback due to sycophantic companions and fear of offense, counseling that advice should be delivered gently, through subtle hints and allegories in private settings rather than direct reproach . A person must also establish internal systems of reward and punishment for their own soul .
- Income and Expenditures (Siyasat al-Rajul Dakhlahu wa-Kharjah): Ibn Sina divides livelihoods into inherited sufficiency and active earning through commerce or crafts, noting that crafts are more secure and durable than trade because wealth is vulnerable to sudden loss . He categorizes honorable professions into three branches: intellectual (sound judgment and statecraft for ministers and rulers), literary and scientific (secretarial writing, eloquence, astronomy, and medicine), and martial (cavalry and warfare) . Acquired income should be divided fairly between charitable dues (zakat and alms), emergency savings, and moderate living expenses balancing between stinginess and wasteful display . He outlines five conditions for charitable acts: expediting them, concealing them, minimizing their perceived importance, sustaining them continuously, and selecting suitable recipients .
- Managing the Wife and Household (Siyasat al-Rajul Ahlah): The text defines a righteous wife as a full partner in property and domestic administration . Her governance rests on three foundations: treating her with dignity and honor (al-karama al-tamma), preserving strict modesty and veiling, and keeping her mind occupied with meaningful domestic responsibilities, such as supervising servants and child-rearing, to prevent idle distractions .
- Upbringing and Education of Children (Siyasat al-Rajul Waldah): Parental duty begins with giving the child a good name and selecting a healthy, upright wet nurse . Moral conditioning must start immediately after weaning, using a balanced mix of encouragement, intimidation, and measured physical correction when necessary . Formal instruction starts with memorizing the Quran, learning letters, and studying religious fundamentals alongside poetry—beginning with simple meter (rajaz) extolling virtues and filial piety . Ibn Sina emphasizes group education over isolated tutoring, arguing that peer interaction stimulates intellectual rivalry, mutual emulation, and social camaraderie . Furthermore, he stresses that vocational training must match the child's natural aptitude and temperament rather than arbitrary choices; once skilled, the youth should be guided to earn a livelihood and marry .
- Managing Servants (Siyasat al-Rajul Khadamah): Servants function as bodily extensions of the householder, shielding him from undignified physical exertion . Masters must select servants through testing or physiognomy (firasa), avoiding both physical impairments and overly cunning individuals who lean toward deception . Each servant should be assigned to a specific role suited to their abilities and kept in that post permanently, as switching tasks disrupts efficiency . The master must cultivate loyalty by making servants feel like secure partners in the household rather than resorting to hasty dismissals, using graduated reprimands, forgiveness for lapses, and punishment only for incorrigible disobedience .
Transmission and Manuscripts
The treatise has been preserved in manuscript collections across several libraries, including the Leiden Academy Library (MS 1464/5) . Classical and later bibliographers, such as Hajji Khalifa in Kashf al-Zunun, explicitly recorded the work under Ibn Sina's name .
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