Arabian Nights and Days

When we examined the schedule for the rest of this class, I was disappointed that the Arabian Nights and Days was not on it, however I read it anyway because it lent itself to my research project on destiny and fate.  My next few blogs will be related to this book, but not necessarily destiny. 

This post was inspired by a quote from the madman in the Nights and Days.  He is explaining why he did not kill many important men who had done wicked acts.  He says "I was sorry that morning should come and the citizens should not find a sultan or a vizier or a governor or a private secretary or a chief of police...  I see them with their hearts full of shame and having experienced the weakness of man" (145)

He follows up and says "Woe to people under a ruler without a sense of shame." (146)

The idea of a ruler needing to contain certain qualities is not unique to any religion or nation.  Most believe those who rule us need to be intelligent and wise, passionate and kind.  But shameful was not an attribute I deemed necessary for a ruler until reading this passage.  When someone feels shame, they have negative erroneous beliefs about their inherent abilities and worth.  Why would we want a ruler to feel that way?  But if that ruler has done horrible things, such as Shahriyar did by slaying hundreds of virgins, shame is an appropriate reaction.  Shame makes us doubt ourselves, and doubt leaves to exploration of new ideas.

Descartes fully supported the idea of self-doubt leading to knowledge and wisdom.  His thought experiments involved many steps in questioning ones own thoughts, and he disregards to validity of preconceived ideas.  His final conclusion is "I think therefore I am."  The act of thinking is the only proof of existence, so does a ruler simply ahve to be able to think to be competent?  Absolutely not, for the necessary attributes to be a good leader are not found in everyone.

Another attribute that is not discussed in the Nights and Days is discussed by Plato in his "Allegory of the Cave".  He says that to be a good leader, you have to not WANT to be a leader at all:

"A city whose prospective rulers are least eager to rule must of necessity be most free from civil war, whereas a city with the opposite kind of rulers is governed in the opposite way."

A leader who has no desire to rule will be the best ruler because his personal emotions will not get in the way. He will do what is best for his people, not for himself.  That is a revelation that Shahriyar must come to at the end of this novel, whether to continue being a terror to his people, or to finally grow up and accept responsibility for his actions.