A New Approach to Conceptualizing Security in the Arab World

Abstract

This chapter lays out the conceptual framework for understanding the nexus between socio-politics and individual security in Social Contract theory and Islamic political thought. Applying the liberal concept of the Social Contract to a region in which governance is mostly neither liberal nor democratic, this chapter demonstrates that the core tenet of Social Contract theory, namely, socio-political integration for the purpose of providing inclusive security, is, nonetheless, compatible with the social, political and cultural heritage of the region. In particular, by linking the liberal theory of the Social Contract with Islamic political thought, this chapter shows that the core normative ambitions of both political theories widely overlap in defining legitimate governance on every level.