Strategic Studies of Culture

Strategic Studies of Culture

The function of tolerance culture in social security (case study: Ferdowsi’s shahname)

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Manouchehr Danesh pazhouhan
Assistant Professor, Deparment of foundational sciences, Farabi faculty, Tehran, Iran. Email: mdpajuhan@yahoo.com
10.22083/scsj.2026.550789.1313
Abstract
Introduction: The culture of tolerance is one of the most effective means of establishing social security within a society. Its absence has played a significant role in weakening social security in contemporary Iranian society. A culture of tolerance can contribute to addressing social problems by bringing together individuals with diverse beliefs, preferences, and perspectives and enabling them to cooperate in solving common issues. Furthermore, tolerance can be regarded as a major cultural achievement across various spheres of social life. Contemporary societies, including Iranian society, face complex and evolving challenges. Among the resources that can help address these challenges is the culture of tolerance. Tolerance has the capacity to unite people from different intellectual and ideological backgrounds around a common goal: the improvement of their society. In this sense, the culture of tolerance can be understood as an interactive model of human relations both within and between social groups. It is shaped by social interactions while simultaneously influencing them. This phenomenon is affected by multiple factors and produces consequences that are crucial for social groups and communities.
Revisiting and reinterpreting the intellectual heritage of classical thinkers in Persian literature—particularly Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, which serves as both a reflection and an organizer of society—can contribute to the localization and indigenization of contemporary knowledge on social security. The Shahnameh was composed during a period in which Arabic, as the language of administration and high culture in Iran, was gradually losing its dominance while Persian was reasserting its position. Few instruments are as effective as language in creating unity and a shared sense of identity among dispersed populations. The Iranian people of the fourth century AH, having experienced political defeat, were able to preserve their identity largely through the Persian language. By safeguarding Iranian culture and identity among diverse ethnic groups, the Shahnameh fostered ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and emotional solidarity and thereby helped establish the foundations of a particular form of social security.
Methods: Given the interdisciplinary nature of security studies, issues related to social security have been examined across a wide range of academic fields. This study adopts a qualitative approach. The research is descriptive-analytical in nature, and its data were collected through a systematic examination of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. The collected data were analyzed using inductive reasoning to identify the role and function of the culture of tolerance in the provision of social security. The primary objective of the study is to localize and indigenize the concept of social security through an examination of how tolerance is represented in the Shahnameh and how it contributes to social security within Iranian society.
Findings: The findings suggest that the Shahnameh regards a culture of tolerance, forbearance, and patience as essential prerequisites for the realization of social security. This security is reflected in the intellectual integrity, ethical conduct, and responsible behavior of both rulers and citizens. Ferdowsi emphasizes several key principles, including the promotion of piety and moral consciousness, the cultivation of tolerance and patience in social relations, respectful and courteous speech, chastity and moral purity, adherence to ethical and human values embedded in Iranian culture, commitment to truthfulness and righteous conduct, respect for the property and rights of others, and moral refinement as a pathway to the highest levels of human excellence. Throughout the Shahnameh, these values are reinforced alongside numerous other human and spiritual virtues.
Conclusion:‌ The findings indicate that tolerance and forbearance constitute essential foundations of social security in contemporary societies. By strengthening solidarity between the political system and the public, promoting social cohesion, and encouraging peaceful coexistence among members of society, a culture of tolerance can help reduce social harms such as hypocrisy, dishonesty, ostentation, injustice, deviant behavior, and various forms of social disorder. Consequently, it can provide effective and sustainable solutions to many social challenges.
Keywords
Security
social security
culture
tolerance
Shahnameh
Ferdowsi
Subjects
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