Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

The Symphony Orchestra as a Mimetic Representation of the Cosmic Order and the Virtuous City: A Philosophical Reading of Al-Farabi’s Works

https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2026.579129.1529
Volume 14, Issue 53
Autumn 2026
Pages 26-37
Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Farshad Sheykhi 1
Hooman Asadi 2
Shahla Eslami 1

1 Department of Philosophy, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Music, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran

Abstract
This article reinterprets the structure of the symphony orchestra through the aesthetic theory and political philosophy of Abu Nasr al-Farabi. It investigates how the ontological and civic concepts in al-Farabi’s major works can be identified and analyzed through the structure and function of a symphony orchestra. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology based on evidence from al-Farabi’s primary texts and philosophical writings.The findings demonstrate that the symphony orchestra constitutes a perceptible mimetic representation of al-Farabi’s cosmic and civic order. The hierarchical organization of orchestral instruments corresponds to the hierarchy of being, while the conductor embodies the twelve essential qualities of the First Ruler. Rehearsal and ensemble coordination represent the cultivation of virtue, with each musician functioning as a responsible citizen whose activity contributes to collective flourishing and individual and social perfection. Orchestral music, as imaginative art, serves as a medium for communicating intelligible truths to the broader public.The study further argues that musical instruments function analogously to matter, while musical tones correspond to form. The fourfold classification of orchestral instruments exhibits affinities with the four classical elements, and the succession of tones and harmonic progressions mirrors the continual transformation of the material world through the succession of forms. Furthermore, al-Farabi’s classifications of the Virtuous City, the Ignorant City—including the Cities of Necessity, Baseness, Misery, Honor, Domination, and License—the Immoral City, the Altered City, and the Misguided City correspond to distinct orchestral typologies based on their intentions, artistic quality, and performance.The article concludes that a professional symphony orchestra characterized by artistic excellence and harmonious cooperation can be understood as a miniature model of the Virtuous City, where justice emerges through harmonic order and human flourishing is realized through musical perfection. Thus, orchestral practice embodies philosophical and ethical principles in a concrete, experiential form.

Keywords

Al-Farabi
Symphony Orchestra
Virtuous City
Mimesis
Harmony
Al-Farabi, A. N. M. (1979). سیاست مدنیه [The Political Regime]. Iranian Institute of Philosophy. [in Persian]
Al-Farabi, A. N. M. (1982). اندیشه‌های اهل مدینۀ فاضله [Opinions of the Inhabitants of the Virtuous City]. Tahouri Library. [in Persian]
Al-Farabi, A. N. M. (2003). فصول منتزعه [Selected Aphorisms]. Soroush Publications. [in Persian]
Al-Farabi, A. N. M. (2005). سعادت از نگاه فارابی [Attainment of Happiness and Admonition on the Path to Happiness]. Dar al-Mahdi. [in Persian]
Al-Farabi, A. N. M. (2019). فلسفۀ دین و الهیات سیاسی [Philosophy of Religion and Political Theology]. Aql-e Sorkh Publications. [in Persian]
Berlioz, H. (1948). Treatise on instrumentation (R. Strauss, Ed.). Kalmus.
Bowen, J. A. (Ed.). (2003). The Cambridge Companion to Conducting. Cambridge University Press.
Davari Ardakani, R. (1975). فلسفۀ مدنی فارابی [Al-Farabi's Political Philosophy]. Chap-e Zarr. [in Persian]
Darvishi, M. R. (2004). دایرةالمعارف سازهای ایران [Encyclopedia of Iranian Musical Instruments] (Vol. 1). Mahoor Institute of Culture and Arts. [in Persian]
Geringer, J. M., & Madsen, C. K. (1998). Musicians’ ratings of good versus bad vocal and string performances. Journal of Research in Music Education, 46(4), 522-534. https://doi.org/10.2307/3345348 
Geringer, J. M., & Sasanfar, J. K. (2013). Listener perception of expressivity in collaborative performances containing expressive and unexpressive playing by the pianist. Journal of Research in Music Education, 61(2), 160-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429413485246 
Hunt, J. G. J., Stelluto, G. E., & Hooijberg, R. (2004). Toward new-wave organization creativity: Beyond romance and analogy in the relationship between orchestra-conductor leadership and musician creativity. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(1), 145-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2003.12.009 
Kalbasi Ashtari, H., & Hajizadeh, P. (2014). Place of Justice in Plato and Farabi’s Utopia. History of Philosophy, 5(17), 1-10. http://journal-dadpishgan.ir/en/Article/23235/FullText 
Kennan, K., & Grantham, D. (2002). The technique of orchestration. The Reel Score, LLC.
Margulis, E. H. (2007). Silences in music are musical not silent: An exploratory study of context effects on the experience of musical pauses. Music Perception, 24(5), 485-506. https://doi.org/10.1525/mp.2007.24.5.485 
Mehrabani-Far, H., & Ghaemi-Nik, M. R. (2023). From the Islamic Virtuous City to the modern metropolis: A comparative study of the thought of Al-Farabi and Simmel and its implications for contemporary urban culture and life. Social Theories of Muslim Thinkers, 13(4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.22059/jstmt.2023.351018.1569
Mehrabani-Far, H., & Salimi, M. A. (2025). A Comparative Study of Human Communication in Habermas’s Civil Society and Al-Farabi’s Madinah Fazilah (the Ideal City). Social Theories of Muslim Thinkers, 15(2), 76–97. https://doi.org/10.22059/jstmt.2025.392597.1782 
Miller, R. J. (2015). Contemporary orchestration: A practical guide to instruments, ensembles, and musicians. Routledge.
Moqadasi, S. M. H., Rezvani, M. (2020). A Critique of the Relationship between Authoritarianism and Farabi’s Utopia. Transcendent Policy, 8(30), 27-46. https://doi.org/10.22034/sm.2020.120374.1500 
Mohseni, S. S, Hekmat, N., Maziar, A., & Askari Rabri, H. (2023). A comparison of alFarabi`s and Plato`s philosophy of music. Shenakht, 15(2), 209-235. https://doi.org/10.48308/kj.2023.230268.1144 
Modarresi, S. M. R. (2012). جایگاه اخلاق در مدینة فاضلة فارابی [The place of ethics in Al-Farabi’s Virtuous City]. Biannual Journal of Moral Knowledge, 3(4), 75–84. [in Persian]. https://marefateakhlagi.nashriyat.ir/node/125 
Parkan, H., & Ebrahimi, K. (2023). Social Trust System: An Approach in the Modernization of the Farabian Virtuous City. Transcendent Policy, 11(1), 103-124. https://doi.org/10.22034/sm.2023.547650.1847 
Platz, F., Kopiez, R., Lehmann, A. C., & Wolf, A. (2014). The influence of deliberate practice on musical achievement: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00646 
Rudolf, M. (1950). The grammar of conducting: A practical study of modern baton technique. G. Schirmer. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1970023484835611016 
Sabri, A., & Alavi, S. M. K. (2016). The Relationship between Virtue and Happiness in Aristotle and Al-Fārābī’s Views. Comparative Theology, 7(16), 101-114. https://doi.org/10.22108/coth.2016.20772 
Saroukhani, B., & Talebi, R. (2009). The utopia in Farabi`s thoughts. Journal of Iranian Social Development Studies, 1(2), 49–86. https://sanad.iau.ir/en/Journal/jisds/Article/821583/FullText 
Sloboda, J. A. (2000). Individual differences in music performance. Trends in cognitive sciences, 4(10), 397-403. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01531-X 
Windsor, W. L., & Clarke, E. F. (1997). Expressive timing and dynamics in real and artificial musical performances: Using an algorithm as an analytical tool. Music Perception, 15(2), 127-152. https://doi.org/10.2307/40285746 

Home

Submit Manuscript

Contact Us