Political Thought of Imam Khomeini: Politics as Straight Path

The science of politics and political thought has always been associated with central metaphors. Politics is still defined differently. Each approach, including normativism, behaviorism, feminism, discourse, and beyond, gives a distinct and specific definition of politics. The metaphor of 'Serat' (Straight Path) first provides a definition of politics, and a model for political analysis; it is then used in the localization of political science in Iran and the Islamic world; in the third stage, it produces the political thought based on the path and the understanding of the generated thought. Fourth, it produces the specific political language of the Muslims based on 'Serat'; finally, it plays a role as an inspiring model for Islamic development and overcoming chronic backwardness. In a case study, the political thought of Imam Khomeini as the most powerful political thinker of contemporary Islam and one of the most influential thinkers in the world on the eve of the twenty-first century has been studied based on 'Serat'.