Abstract

From Al Afghani’s and Simone Weil’s perspective a successful nation is one where its people have a rich and cultural life with the promotion of peace and harmony: The length of time is dependent on the strength of the values. When a nation’s success is enduring and it is shown to be productive over a period of time can it be judged to be of value. The historical process tests each system and preserves only that which expands and enriches human life. Bewitched by the glamour of transient values, great powers end up paying the price for disregarding the demands of the moral order of the universe. Following this analysis, religious, cultural and ethnic explanations appear as the catalytic agent in the progress of mankind. The nations that survive in the long run strive to assure a life of happiness, peace and prosperity for all. Those values are immanent in the absolute. In this article, the latter is explained by drawing on select examples in history by applying the philosophical arguments of Jamal al Din Afghani and Simone Weil to four fallen nations and contemporary international politics.