Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. A Note on Citations and Abbreviations vii
4. Introduction. Alfarabi and the Question of the Umma (Nation) 1
5. Chapter 1. The Nation in Plato and Aristotle: An Obstacle to Virtuous Rule 15
6. Chapter 2. From Speechlessness to Civilization: The Evolution of the Umma 45
7. Chapter 3. Philosophy and the Umma: An Uneasy Coexistence 66
8. Chapter 4. Another Kind of Umma: The Origin of the Islamic Umma 86
9. Chapter 5. The Mission of the Virtuous Umma: Ethnic Accommodation Within Islam 113
10. Chapter 6. Between City and Empire: The Political Significance of the Umma 136
11. Chapter 7. The Umma Among the Ignorant Associations: Nationalism and the Threat of War 174
12. Conclusion. The Intermediate Association 201
13. Notes 207
14. Works Cited 233
15. Index of Proper Names 243
16. Index of Subjects 246
17. Acknowledgments 249