The Political Education Model in the Intellectual System of the Supreme Leader

Abstract

This study aims to explain the model of political education in the thought of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, through qualitative content analysis of his statements. The research method is based on inductive coding and the extraction of foundational themes from his speeches and perspectives during the period from 1984 to 2016. The findings indicate that the political education model in his intellectual system is founded on six major pillars: (1) justice-centeredness and the integration of ethics and law as a paradigm of governance, (2) comprehensive rational–spiritual education in contrast to secular models, (3) the responsibility of government in providing public education as a tool of resistance against globalization, (4) the family as a micro-state of education centered on the role of parents, (5) resistance discourse as an identity-building force against hegemonic powers, and (6) spiritual education to prepare society for the era of the reappearance. This model, by redefining the boundaries of politics and ethics, considers the state responsible for the moral perfection of citizens and the institutionalization of an “Islamic–revolutionary identity.” Emphasis on religious meritocracy, the priority of justice over liberal freedom, and the transformation of values into political norms distinguish this theory from secular models. The research concludes that this intellectual system not only provides a framework for “religious governance,” but also presents social engineering based on Shiʿi teachings as an alternative to liberal modernity. This model raises significant theoretical questions regarding the possibility of reconciling value stability with innovation in post-revolutionary societies.