An Analytic Study of the Impact of Social Ethos on Social Development (From Imam Ali’s Point of View)

Analysis of Imam Ali (PBUH)’s speeches and works shows that he as the ruler of Islamic society placed a unique emphasis on social ethos and its changes and transformations. The present article tries to answer the question of what impact social ethos has on the development or decline of Islamic and human societies from the point of view of Imam Ali (PBUH). To this aim, after theoretical provisions, the methods of historical and documentary studies and content analysis were used. The research results showed that in the method for social development in Imam Ali’ (PBUH)’s government, traditions and social ethos play a central role. Social system’s watching out for and monitoring of improper social ethos of hypocrisy, distrust, laziness, flattery, and extravagance were key to social development and reproduction of social capital in the reign of Imam Ali (PBUH). On the other hand, lack of proper social ethos not only brings on distrust but also destroys the possibility of cooperation, participation, and other social interactions. Lack of social participation and mutual trust, in turn, destroys the possibility of any social development, replacing it with hypocrisy, flattery, sloth, and violence in society.