Transcendent Philosophy: Political and Civil Norms

The present study is formulated with the aim of elucidating the position and nature of political and civil norms within the framework of Transcendent Philosophy. It seeks to address the key question of how political norms—often regarded as purely conventional or mental constructs—can be linked to the ontological foundations of this philosophical school. The article's central problem stems from the traditional view that Transcendent Philosophy, due to its focus on existential realities and "matters of fact," is deemed incapable of studying political norms, which fall under the domain of "constructs"—matters of convention and human enactment. However, the author, employing a documentary method and analyzing the foundational texts of this philosophy, seeks
to substantiate the claim that political norms are not merely arbitrary conventions disconnected from reality, but rather emerge from existential truths and are rooted in the perfections of the soul. At the outset, referencing the views of Wilhelm Dilthey, the structure of the human sciences is divided into three parts: assertions of fact, theoretical propositions, and value or normative judgments. It is emphasized that political science would possess an incomplete identity without its normative dimension. By bridging this classification with Transcendent Philosophy, the author introduces "social justice" as the primary source for constructing normative models. In this approach, social justice is not a pure convention; rather, it is rooted in ontological justice, defined as the reception of perfections proportionate to the potentiality of every being. To explain this process, the article refers to Allameh Tabatabai’s views on the genesis of society; accordingly, in the course of his "substantial motion" and to satisfy his myriad needs, man first turns to the "employment" of others. However, his practical reason realizes that continued survival and the attainment of individual perfection are only possible through cooperation and a "cooperative society." This transition from the individual to the social realm is an urgent and innate necessity that leads to the construction of the norm of "social justice" to prevent conflict of interest and chaos. In fact, social justice, as a comprehensive virtue, provides the bedrock upon which political and legal norms are formed to prevent the collapse of society. Next, the article explains the norms of "ruling" and "being ruled." Since the instinct for utilization is permanent in human nature, autocratic individuals emerge within the political community who enact norms to maintain order. Nonetheless, through the persistence of autocracy, human practical reason reaches the understanding that to protect the public interest, norms must be established to limit the power of rulers and secure the interests of the ruled—what is known today as "civil society." The fundamental point and primary achievement of this paper is that although these norms are "constructs" at the level of enactment, they become ontologically united with the human "soul." Citing the doctrine of the "unity of the intellect and the intelligible," the author argues that when citizens internalize political norms and grasp "the oughts and ought-nots," they actually achieve an existential unity with that normative meaning. This implies that norms transcend a purely mental and conventional realm and become part of the non-material (imaginal) existence of citizens, guiding their substantial motion toward well-being and perfection. Accordingly, political science within the framework of Transcendent Philosophy—in contrast to positivist or behaviorist political science—does not perceive norms as relative entities or mere products of human volition. Instead, it regards them as indicators of the latent truths and inner realities of society, which are rooted in the system of actual human needs. Ultimately, this study concludes that by elucidating the connection between political constructs and existential truths, Transcendent Philosophy has paved a new path for theorization in the philosophy of political science and the social sciences. In this paradigm, politics is not merely a technique of management, but rather the sphere for the manifestation and emergence of human existential evolution within the context of collective life. This approach allows political science to study political phenomena not as illusory or purely conventional matters, but as objective realities with a tangible impact on the order of existence.