Analysis of Saadi's Bustan with Max Weber's theory of social action

The educational nature of Saadi's two works, "Bustan" and "Golestan" — as a treasure trove of ethical teachings — is evident to all. While "Golestan" has a gentle and indirect tone, "Bustan" displays a more authoritative style through the frequent use of imperative and prohibitive verbs and persuasive methods. Saadi's primary focus is on individual reform to improve society as a whole, which aligns with the individualistic approach of some modern sociological theories, particularly Max Weber's theory of social action. This article introduces Weber's sociological ideas regarding the understanding of the subjective meanings that actors attribute to their actions. Weber categorizes social action into four types: rational goal-oriented action, rational value-oriented action, emotional action, and traditional action. Following this, various educational methods employed by Saadi in "Bustan," such as encouragement, warning, and conditional statements, are illustrated based on Weber's theory of social action. The statistical population is "Bustan," aiming to clarify how Saadi's educational approaches resonate with Weber's different forms of social action, revealing Saadi's genius as a social reformer within modern sociological perspectives. This article employs a descriptive-analytical method to analyze Weber's theory of social action in the verses of "Bustan" and examines the degree of overlap between them. Saadi's works are consistent with aspects of contemporary sociological theories, such as Weber's theory of social action, positioning Saadi as a thinker whose insights transcend the boundaries of his time and culture.
Introduction
Bustan and Gulistan are both works of moral instruction in which Saadi conveys lessons for improving individual and social life through the narration of stories and examples. In other words, Saadi in these two books acts as a teacher who, through his expressions and tales, aims to promote culture and awareness among individuals to build a better society.
      A perceptive reader, after studying these two books, understands that in Gulistan, Saadi sits knee-to-knee with the reader, gently and indirectly imparting advice, while in Bustan, Saadi's authoritative and commanding tone surprises the reader. The abundance of imperative and prohibitive verbs, direct advice and address, and the use of tools like warning, condition, and encouragement (both religious and non-religious) in Bustan suggest that Saadi's persona in this work is that of a strict, framework-bound teacher who has dedicated all his efforts to improving and elevating the quality of life of his readers and students.
      Any form of literature that directly or indirectly imparts teachings to the reader and audience falls under the category of didactic literature. Didactic literature is that which sees human well-being in the improvement of moral character and also engages in the cultivation of spiritual faculties and moral education of the individual. Didactic literature comprises a wide spectrum of Persian literature. Moral and ascetic teachings are among the various forms of Persian didactic literature, and even in the lyrical and epic themes of Persian literature, there is a connection with moral education.
      Didactic literature in the specific sense includes discussions of ethics, religion, philosophy, society, criticism, politics, and wisdom. Poems that present some moral, religious, mystical, philosophical teachings or advice, whether in the form of long verse or short ode, are classified in the grammatical and didactic genre.
      When Saadi intended to convey something to society, he labeled it as moral or immoral. From what can be discerned from reading Saadi's works, he held the view that if society deems something moral, everyone (even kings) should do it, even if it is not to their liking, and if something is considered immoral, it should not be done, no matter how desirable, because the individual who performs such an act must face the consequences in a society that deems it unethical. "Saadi's diversity in giving advice and counsel is such that the reader does not realize that this is the same message he has heard repeatedly from Saadi" (Movahed, 1388: 76).
      Encouragement (persuasion), warning (admonition), and conditional statements are expressions used to achieve the desired result in most didactic and moral texts. When a teacher or preacher intends to convey a message or teaching to their audience in a profound and principled manner, they often employ one of the three aforementioned methods. For example, if a preacher wishes to recommend doing good, they would express this recommendation using several methods; either by encouraging the audience that if they carry out this recommendation, they will receive great benefits - which in religious communities and sermons is often related to worldly and otherworldly rewards - or by prohibiting them from doing the opposite and warning them about the consequences of disobeying the recommendation - which again, in a religious context, would be related to otherworldly punishment - or to make the recommendation more effective, they condition the attainment of a desirable goal on doing or not doing that recommendation. And in most cases, these addresses are individualistic; that is, the preacher or teacher expects to achieve a developed society by influencing and reforming each individual of their audience.
      Saadi too is a preacher. A teacher who presents his educational and moral teachings to his audience using his own distinctive tools. In conveying his moral and educational teachings, he addresses the individual more than the society. Throughout his didactic texts, the teachings are directed at each individual member of society; that is, Saadi hopes that by reforming the moral characteristics of the individual, he can transform society into an ideal state. For example, "Saadi's Gulistan contains a total of 161 teachings, of which 146 are individual teachings (about 90 percent)" (Rahimi et al., 1402: 183).
      Given that Saadi generally emphasizes the reform of the individual towards the reform of society - that is, throughout his teachings, whether in Gulistan or Bustan, he tries to reform the individual so that by reforming each member of society, the moral quality of society can improve - one can observe the traces of many of Saadi's methods for conveying his individual educational teachings in some of the modern sociological theories, among which one can refer to Max Weber's theory of "social action", who is considered one of the individualist theorists.
Method
Max Weber's theory of social action is one of the individualist theories that deals with individual actions based on goal, value, tradition, and human emotions. In this article, the educational verses of Saadi's Bustan that are aligned with Weber's theory of social action have been examined using an analytical-descriptive method and a sociological approach.
Results and discussion
The four types of actions that Weber presents are typically placed in the category of ideal types; meaning that many of our behaviors encompass one or more of these classifications. Therefore, it is vital to note that in the real world, a pure and unadulterated form of each of these actions does not exist. For example, consider a student who decides to pursue a career in medicine: in instrumental rational action, the student evaluates the practical aspects of becoming a doctor, such as job stability and financial security; in value-rational action, the student believes that being a doctor is a noble profession that aligns with their personal values of serving the community, positively impacting people's lives, and achieving religious and moral satisfaction. In affective action, the student has a deep passion for helping others and feels a strong emotional connection to the idea of healing people and alleviating their suffering through diagnosis and prescription. In traditional action, it may be that the student's family has a long-standing tradition of entering the medical profession, and becoming a doctor is seen as the natural path based on the family's customs and expectations.
      It can be said that the methods of transmitting teachings in didactic texts are to some extent overlapping with Weber's social actions. However, as mentioned earlier, in the real world, a pure and unadulterated form will not be found; but in a general perspective, one can categorize encouragement and warning, admonition and condition, with the aforementioned social actions on a case-by-case basis.
Conclusion
Saadi's Bustan is an important source of moral and social teachings that is presented with the aim of individual improvement for the reform of society as a whole. Saadi, through his subtle yet direct admonitions and warnings, emphasizes the importance of individual moral integrity in cultivating a more ethical and harmonious society. Saadi's educational approach, with its focus on individual moral growth for social progress, aligns with the principles of individualism, which prioritizes personal independence and self-determination.
      Saadi's teachings, by focusing on the individual as the fundamental unit of social change, emphasize the connection between personal virtues and collective well-being. From this perspective, Saadi's works can be seen as testimony to the enduring relationship between moral and social teachings in the formation of a more just and cohesive society. Furthermore, examining Saadi's works through the lens of individualism illuminates the timeless wisdom embedded in his verses, which continues to resonate with readers across generations. As researchers delve deeper into the depths of Saadi's teachings, it becomes evident that his emphasis on individual moral agency and social responsibility transcends temporal and cultural boundaries, offering valuable insights into the persistent pursuit of ethical living and collective harmony.
      Saadi's approach reflects aspects of contemporary sociological theories, such as Max Weber's theory of social action, which highlights the significance of individual agency in shaping social norms and values. The overlapping of the social actions outlined in Weber's theory with Saadi's conventional methods of conditional warning and encouragement in conveying moral and educational teachings suggests that Saadi was not only a poet but also a social reformer and thinker who was intellectually ahead of his time. Saadi's use of methods aligned with modern sociology for the transmission and promotion of ethics and culture, such as attention to the logical consequence of action and teachings (corresponding to goal-oriented rational social action), focus on the audience's religious beliefs and values in conveying teachings (corresponding to value-oriented rational social action), invocation of ancestral traditions and popular culture to establish teachings (corresponding to traditional social action), and appealing to the audience's emotions to facilitate the understanding of teachings, especially in Bustan, have made him an educationist, sociologist, and innov.