Wilayat al-Faqih as an Example of Ideological Governance: A Sociological Analysis of the Regional Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Abstract

From a political sociology perspective, this study seeks to answer the question of how the concept of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) transformed from a theological-jurisprudential theory into a model of ideological governance, and how this has influenced the regional policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The study integrates four key theoretical approaches: Max Weber's concept of legitimacy, Pierre Bourdieu's concept of symbolic authority, Carl Schmitt's political theology, and Louis Althusser's theory of the ideological apparatus of the state. This integration allows for an analysis of Velayat-e Faqih as a comprehensive system for producing legitimacy, obedience, and power. The study treats ideology and national interest as two sides of the same coin in a single governance process, rather than as opposing forces. The findings demonstrate that this model operates through three fundamental mechanisms: the production of symbolic legitimacy, the construction of a network of ideological apparatuses, and the formulation of an internationalist discourse that blurs the lines between domestic and foreign policy.

Furthermore, the study reveals that Iranian regional policy is not merely a reflection of geostrategic interests, but is also shaped by the ideological principles of Velayat-e Faqih. The study concludes that understanding Iran's regional behavior requires a complex approach that combines ideology, national interest, and social forces, rather than reducing the phenomenon to a single factor. The scientific value of this study lies in developing the concept of "ideological rule" from a general description into an applicable analytical model that can be used to study and evaluate other types of top-down or normative political systems.