Strategic Studies Quarterly

Abstract Introduction Today, due to the expansion of human societies and the complexities in human behavior and relationships, the concept of security has become broader and more complex. According to Friedman, the simplest idea of security is the absence of anxiety and the ability to counter any potential threat from others. In line with this concept, in the later stages of Western society, the states envisioned by Hobbes and Locke emerged to provide security for citizens under the social contract. In the East, political thought texts, such as the Letter of Tansar, also discuss governance styles and the application of security. Based on existing documents, one of the duties of governments in the Iranian Empire was to establish and maintain security. During the Sassanid Era, they were able to reunite Iranian society and, by relying on the Ahuric principles of the Zoroastrian religion, establish order and security. Therefore, in the Sassanid state, security was grounded in religious legitimacy, which can be observed in the political Books of Advice of that era, including the Letter of Tansar. Based on this, the present paper, utilizing Quentin Skinner's interpretive approach, seeks to answer the question: What is the meaning and concept of security in the Letter of Tansar?   Methodology This study is organized around Skinner's interpretive approach and John Morrow's teleology-legitimacy model. Skinner finds textual and contextual readings insufficient for understanding political texts. He believes that, in addition to reading the text and considering its context, one must also understand the author's intention and purpose. In addition, Morrow's model, which stands as one of the most credible philosophical approaches for understanding the political order governing human societies, aims to identify the goals and functions of a political system. To achieve this, he specifies criteria to serve as a basis for political evaluation and norm-setting.   Discussion and Results The most compelling evidence for the security-centric nature of the Letter of Tansar lies in its association of religion and kingship. The letter asserts that the alignment of these two elements results in security, justice, and public satisfaction. Tansar further emphasizes that the structure and organization of social classes form the foundation of societal security. He adds that the breakdown of the social and hereditary class system leads to insecurity, attributing this disorder to the absence of a king. Political and social security, governmental security, economic security, and religious security are among the most critical issues addressed in the Letter of Tansar. He views the monarchy and the king as the security referent objects and the ones responsible for ensuring it. Just as he believes in one God, he envisions a centralized system with a single king. Thus, based on the doctrine of one God and one ruler, He considers Ardashir to be the only individual capable of aligning earthly order with divine order through his possession of divine grace, thereby establishing security.   Conclusion Drawing on the teachings of Zoroastrianism and the concept of Asha, Tansar highlights three crucial elements: cosmic order, true religion, and social order. He uses Zoroaster's ideas as the basis for establishing legitimate security in society. Tansar places the king at the pinnacle of society, responsible for maintaining security. He believes that the government's and the king's legitimacy stems from divine grace, which cannot be challenged. Tansar asserts that disrupting the earthly order - connected to the divine order - leads to various security risks, and the king must address these issues, even if it involves the killing of many people. Overall, the Letter of Tansar offers several recommendations for enhancing security in society through the legitimate rule of a religious king, resulting in the public good and the elimination of security threats. Key security issues in the letter include maintaining social order, responsibility, the vital role of the king, religion's role in legitimizing the government, utilizing secret operatives to oversee society, punishing offenders, and confronting heresy and religious innovations.

Abstract Politicized intelligence refers to intelligence products and analyzes that, instead of being realistic, are changed in order to support the options and results desired by policymakers or to please them. The politicization of intelligence represents the efforts of policymakers to shape intelligence in line with their political priorities. The research questions are; What are the differences between the formation of "politicized intelligence" and "politicization of intelligence" and what are the consequences of the politicization of intelligence for intelligence and political institutions? In response, interpretative research (fishing tool) and descriptive survey (questionnaire tool) methods were used respectively. Thematic analysis and Bartlett's tests and confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings of the research show that "politicized intelligence" and "politicization of intelligence" are essentially different from each other in terms of formation through twelve fields. The outcome of both the problems of "politicized intelligence" and "politicization of intelligence" is similar and in fact, the ultimate influence of intelligence on politics is the distance of the intelligence organization from its professional identity and behavior and the inefficiency of the political system.

Abstract  
This article studies four sets of variables in the fields of "demography" (population rate, percentage of urban population, unemployment rate), "policy making" (volume of resources and oil production, GDP, the country's ranking in human development indexes), "social services" (average age of students and duration of education, share of health in GDP, Internet access), and "economic situation" (economic freedom). It intends to compare these variables in the Islamic Republic of Iran with those in two regions with similar civilizations and cultures, including countries in Central Asia and Southwest Asia. The findings of this study, which are based on international reports, show that the approach to social justice plays a considerable and decisive role in determining the efficiency or inefficiency of the political system in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
 
 

Abstract This article argues that the metaphor of trusteeship can elaborate the meaning of state and power in Islamic system and religious democracy. The concept of state and power as a kind of trust could help to extract the similarities among trusteeship in its general concept and the state, power and statesmanship. Author argues that this way, he could explain the nature of power and state in Islam. He argues that trusteeship in its general concept has a Trans temporal and Trans local and Trans generational value, which is not suspendable in Islam. Trust is a practical concept in accomplishment of religious democracy and good governance in Islamic republic and its feasibility among rulers and ruled people in different aspects as in elections could strengthen social and political capital and psychological security in Iran. 

Abstract

A study of the economic developments inIran, during the post revolution era, indicates that the economic policy of the Iranian government has got a fluctuation condition rather than linear trend. Therefore, it clears that after the revolution the general orientation of the economic policies during the first decade was based on redistribution, during the second decade on economic growth and since the middle of the third decade on redistribution again. The paper explains these instabilities within the framework of fluctuation model. Later, instead of providing an economic analysis, it will attempt to analyze the root causes of these instabilities through the prism of political sociology. Finally it concludes that during the post revolutionary era, the nature and structure of the renter state has caused this kind of instability at the macro-economic level.