Individual, society, and social choice in Islamic thought

This study seeks to determine the relevance of modern social choice theory for an Islamic society. Western social choice theory takes its analytical point of departure from the individual and the way he or she chooses. Social choice, it is believed, must somehow represent individual choice. To establish the relevance of this social choice theory, I must show that the individual is central in the Islamic society with which I am concerned; this centrality is confirmed by the Shari'ah and the religious and political teachings of Islam. Chapters II and III review these teachings and conclude that the role of the individual in the light of the Shari'ah is so crucial that within limits the selection among social alternatives must represent individual choices. This is true, as long as these choices are consistent with the teachings of Islam; hence Western social choice theory is directly applicable. However, the results of the analysis of social choice theory have been somewhat negative. The discussion has been largely dominated by the reaction to the pathbreaking work of Nobel Laureate K. J. Arrow. A survey of the relevant literature and an exploration of the negative results and alternative suggestions are undertaken in Chapter IV. In the final chapter, I examine the possibility of constructing a social welfare function in an Islamic community. I have added a new axiom to those suggested by Arrow, which I will refer to as "Islamically Imposed." This additional axiom will provide for the maintenance of consistency with the Islamic teachings. I come to the conclusion that when the choice set contains alternatives that the individual must do (Waji b) or must not do (Haram), the former will be chosen and the latter will never be chosen. Thus for the general case Arrow's negative results follow. If these elements are not in the choice set (i.e., all elements in the choice set belongs to Mubah activities) then Arrow's results follow in a straightforward fashion. This negative result has led me in the direction in which Nobel Laureate J. M. Buchanan has taken social choice theory. His approach focuses on the process by which a society achieves a solution to social alternatives that is consistent with their values, rather than focusing on the internal consistency of an objective welfare function, or results.