Matin Research Journal

Matin Research Journal

The Concept of Public Interest in the Literature of the Constitutionalist Thinkers: A Case Study of the Newspaper Qanun

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Chiman Karimi 1
Shoja Ahmadvand 2
1 PhD Student, Department of Political Science, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran. University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/matin.2025.480269.2295
Abstract
The concept of "public interest" is one of the modern concepts in the political literature of the Constitutional Era in Iran, which the constitutionalists sought to explain and apply within their own discursive framework. This concept played a significant role in the development of modernity, the establishment of the rule of law, and the critique of individual tyranny. Contrary to static and inherent concepts, its meaning and value changed depending on social and political conditions and power relations. This article aims to examine how the concept of public interest was represented and applied in the newspaper Qanun and the thoughts of Mirza Malkam Khan, the founder of the newspaper. The main question of this research is how Malkam Khan proposed and utilized this concept within the framework of his political thought. The research method is qualitative, based on critical discourse analysis, and data were collected through library research. The research findings indicate that, firstly, the realization of the priority of public interest over individual interest is only possible through the establishment of political structures based on law. Secondly, in explaining this concept, Malkam Khan drew upon Islamic intellectual sources and attempted to create a consistency between civil law and Islamic Sharia. The final conclusion shows that his main goal in publishing the newspaper Qanun was to promote the concept of public interest in the mindset of the constitutionalists and Iranian elites, and to align the governance system with this concept through the separation of powers and creating compatibility between Sharia and law. He also proposed the establishment of a "Supreme Council" so that public interest could be shaped through dialogue and consensus among the members of the "Society of Humanity" (Majma'-e Âdamiyat).
Keywords
Public Interest
Constitution (Mashruteh)
Qanun Newspaper
Mirza Malkam Khan
Intellectuals
Subjects
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Matin Research Journal
Volume 27, Issue 109
Winter 2025
Pages 61-88