Manahij al-Bahth fi al-Ulum al-Siyasiyya
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Manahij al-Bahth fi al-Ulum al-Siyasiyya (Research Methods in Political Science) is a methodological work by the political scientist Muhammad Mahmud Rabi that examines the epistemological foundations, approaches, and research methods utilized in political and social inquiry .
Purpose and Scope
The work aims to provide researchers in the social and political sciences with essential analytical tools, instilling logical thinking and clarifying the criteria for selecting suitable research methods . A central objective is resolving the widespread confusion in contemporary literature between a research "approach" (madkhal or approach) and a research "method" (manhaj or method), terms often incorrectly used interchangeably .
Rabi emphasizes that research methods are not mechanical formulas and cannot substitute for the researcher's intellect, insight, and creative inquiry . He also asserts that scientific research in the political domain is inevitably intertwined with values, ideological orientations, and overarching philosophical systems rather than being entirely value-neutral .
Structure and Contents
The book is structured into four main parts (abwab) comprising twelve chapters:
- Part One: Survey of Major Philosophical Schools and Their Relationship to Research Methods (Nabdha 'an Ahamm al-Madaris wa-al-Tayyarat al-Falsafiyya wa-'Alaqatuha bi-Manahij al-Bahth): Discusses the concept of philosophy across historical epochs, beginning with ancient philosophy, medieval thought—including Islamic research methodology and the method of Ibn Khaldun—and modern figures such as Francis Bacon and René Descartes . It also covers contemporary schools, including traditionalism, classical positivism, logical positivism, Marxism, pragmatism, and existentialism, concluding with a comparative analysis of materialism and idealism .
- Part Two: The Liberal Conception of Research Approaches and Methods (al-Mafhum al-Lībrālī li-Madakhil wa-Manahij al-Bahth): Explores various disciplinary approaches (historical, economic, sociological, geographical, and philosophical), structural and procedural focuses (institutions, law, power, values, and decision-making), theoretical models (environmental, ideological, and behavioral), and core liberal methods (analytical, quantitative, qualitative, inductive, deductive, and comparative) .
- Part Three: The Marxist Conception of Research Methods (al-Mafhum al-Marksī li-Manahij al-Bahth): Examines the underlying methodological disputes between liberalism and Marxism, contrasting the metaphysical method with the development of the dialectical method in both its idealist and materialist forms .
- Part Four: Scientific Research in Politics (al-Bahth al-'Ilmī fī al-Siyasa): Focuses on the relationship between science and methodology, the criteria required for knowledge to attain scientific status, the sequential steps of the scientific method, and modern techniques aimed at enhancing methodological rigor .
The book concludes with a bibliography of Arabic and foreign sources and an index of proper names .
Editions
In the preface to the second edition, dated 1986 in Kuwait, the author noted the inclusion of expanded material analyzing the methodology of Ibn Khaldun and Islamic research principles, exploring how early Muslim scholars moved beyond Aristotelian syllogism and assessing the degree of Greek influence on Islamic scientific and social inquiry .
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