Syllogism as a Method in Political Science

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Research Institute of Islamic Culture and Thought, Tehran, Iran

2 Level Three in Islamic Philosophy, Esra Institute, Qom, Iran

Abstract

The fundamental aim of this research is to elucidate the place of syllogism not merely as a formal tool within the discipline of logic, but as a comprehensive research method in political science. Confronting a general problem (assessing the feasibility of transforming logical discussions into a research method) and a specific problem (how to apply the syllogism in political research), this article seeks to demonstrate how logical structures of reasoning can be used to escape methodological impasses in political science. It appears that such efficacy can be achieved through the syllogistic method; the operational objective of the research is to provide a roadmap that enables the political researcher to attain "rational necessity" and "demonstrative certainty" in various types of research—historical, descriptive, explanatory, and interpretive—instead of relying on conjecture or fragmented explanations. Furthermore, this article is committed to the indigenization of political science methodology by drawing on the rich Iranian-Islamic heritage (the works of Avicenna, Suhrawardī, and Mullā Ṣadrā), thereby strengthening rationality and wisdom in the domains of policymaking and governance. The research findings show that the logical syllogism is applicable in explanatory research through the use of propter quid or a priori (cause to effect) (limmī) and quia or a posteriori (effect to cause) (innī) methods, and in interpretive research for reconstructing the internal logic of ideas. In descriptive research, the application of various types of logical propositions (categorical and compound) elevates the description of phenomena from the level of mere reporting to the level of regulated analysis. The syllogistic method is also applicable in the analysis of policymaking processes (such as negotiation or political participation). As far as has been investigated, no prior work with these characteristics has been found.

Keywords

References

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