Iqbal, Bergson and the Reconstruction of the Divine Nexus in Political Thought
Iqbal, Bergson and the Reconstruction of the Divine Nexus in Political Thought
This chapter looks at the reconstruction of the divine nexus in political thought in Muhammad Iqbal and Henri Bergson. Articulated in Mark Lilla's book Stillborn God (2007), the divine nexus — that is, the intersection of God, man, and the world — in Western political thought was abandoned in the early modern period and no thinker has effectively re-conceptualised it since. The chapter argues that through their shared metaphysical and epistemological ideas, Iqbal and Bergson form a new philosophical foundation that puts God at the centre of the cosmos. In this, both identify the centrality of prophecy/mysticism in the collective life of society and show the indispensable role that religion plays in challenging those political realities in the world that threaten human dignity, freedom, and well-being.
Keywords: divine nexus, political thought, Muhammad Iqbal, Henri Bergson, cosmos, prophecy, mysticism, religion
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