A detailed chapter on institutionalism and Islamic Political Economy appears in the author's Studies in Islamic Social Sciences, forthcoming, Macmillan Press Ltd. London & St. Martin's Press, New York.

The following formalisation shows that in a system of methodological individualism in the small or in the large, it is impossible to infer the existence of any interactive subsystem. In the Islamic socio-scientific order, interactions are endemic and equivalent to the evolutionary knowledge-centered worldview. Systems perpetually evolve in the midst of interactions. When an integration, i.e. social consensus (Ijma) occurs, this must be short-lived, in the sense that new springs of knowledge energe. These then carry the old consensus level to higher ones. In the cognitive level of the knowledge-induced forms, the moral-material tuplets that we talked about earlier, are themselves of higher vintages. An example we took earlier in this regard, is the dynamic basic needs basket of goods, technology and developmental stages.

General System

Let p denote a basic epistemology, which stands for ceremonial valuation of the entire system. VI, VI', VI" etc. are the instrumental valuation that carry forward the values presented by p in the form of p1,p1',p2,p2", etc. We also take, p1=(p1',p1"); p2=(p1',p2"). V1=(V1',V1"); V2=(V2',V2"). It can be shown though details are not provided here that a matrix of these instrumental and ceremonial values as relations of each other can be formulated. At the initial level, an example of such a system of relation is

V2 pV2 pV2p1 pV2p1V1p2 Inverse[V']= (V1 o V2) = infinity

Occidental Systems of Methodological Individualism and Evolutionary Institutionalism.

First take the systems to be premised in the epistemology of the occidental order. The a(i,j) stand for the compounded values of ceremonial valuation and instrumental valuation shown directly below them, i,j=1,2,3,5. This matrix shows the values of possible interactions, if any, among ceremonial values that are carried through by instrumental values.

Take any one of these compounded ceremonial-instrumental values in the matrix at the end of a sequence of interactions, if possible. Since the p-values and hence V-values, are either independent of each other or are linearly identical to a scalar value, therefore, V=V1 o V2 = V1' o V1" o V2' o V2" = null set.

Here two cases can arise. First, if any one of the subprocesses is independent of any other, then through interactions implied by the V-values, V will be a null functional. Second, all of the instrumental valuations are independent of each other. Hence, V=Null. These two conditions prevail in both evolutionary systems, and socio-scientific systems that remain ethically benign, as in the occidental order. Interactions in evolutionary systems remain temporary and provide the springboard for the launching of such individuated systems.

Next take the case of hegemonic convergence, as in the case of Eurocentricity. This is true either in subsystems or globally. Now the p-values and V-values are linearly related to each other. Thus optimality occurs in the subsystems. Each subsystem optimises in itself. In such a situation of convergence, a(i,j)=l.a(i',j'), i,j,i'j'=1,2,3,4,5. Some example here are as follows: the convergence to globalisation under the World Trade Organisation; global governance under the Western Allied influence in the United Nations; elitist democratic order governed by a political philosophy from the times of the Greeks onto the present times; and the end-of-history theory among some in the new millennium.

With each of the above inter-column (or row) relationships in the [a(i,j)] matrix, any nxn determinant, //a(i,j)//=0, n=1,2,3,4. Hence no interactions can exist in any subsystem of the total occidental socio-scientific system. Likewise, [a(i,j)]=ÀÀ. Hence no reverse relationships among the p-values and the V-values can exist. This result also implies the kind of Kantian (epistemic) and Humean (ontic) discontinuity of occidental philosophy of science and reality.

Islamic Case of Interactions-Integration-Evolution

Since knowledge flows premised in the Tawhidi Stock of Knowledge plays the interactive-integrative role and any such social consensus is temporary and is taken over by evolution to higher stages of knowledge convergence to K, we formalise as follows:

Let k(K) denote the flows k premised in K. k-values may be taken during the process of interactions leading to a particular state of consensus, or it may be taken as a limit value out of many such limit values that configure different emerging social consensus points. We will retain the same symbol for either of these cases as they are structurally the same in the dynamic analysis of knowledge evolution out of integration and integration. We will also subsume the k-values in the quantities as shown above.

Now each of the p-values and V-values as shown in the system given above, is induced by k(K)-values. In a state of interaction, a(i',j')=l(i,j)a(i,j) > 0, for different values of l(i,j), i is different from i', j is different from j', i,i',j,j'=1,2,3,4,5. The Qur'anic implication of such a state is existence of systemic diversities (not independence) in the bounties of God in the systemically interactive structure of the universe.

When integration (Ijma or agreement) comes about through interactions, a(i',j')=l.a(i,j) + e(i,j). Now even though l(i,j)=l, is a constant, for i,i',j,j'=1,2,3,4,5, and for given stages of integration, yet the same kind of evolutionary process is regenerated by new k-values premised in the K-value (Stock). This is implied by the e(i,j)-values. Thus there are monotonically positive-definite forms in the [a(i,j)] matrix. These in turn generate positive nxn determinants, n=1,2,3,4. Consequently, Inverse[a(i,j)] exists as a positive-definite determinant. This enables well-defined reverse mappings to be generated. They are of the type, showing first, the purely epistemic relations (a priori) from the realm of knowledge to the realm of materiality. These are linked with the circular continuity and causation of the evolutionary fresh knowledge flows. Thus, alongwith such a well- defined circular causation and continuity process of unified reality, the p-values and V-values as induced by k(K)-values, are evolved, out of interactions and integration into higher planes of interactions-integration. This phase marks the perpetually evolutionary and convergent nature of k(K)-values. In this way, the cumulative knowledge process re-establishes the ultimate K-Stock that is primordially given in Tawhidi Origins and is terminally optimised and recreated in Akhira (Hereafter).

Finally, we need to understand the difference between the nature of temporary integration that evolves into higher stages of discursions in the Shuratic process, and the temporary nature of interactions in evolutionary institutionalism. In the evolutionary economic system, //a(i,j)// /k -> 0 as k evolves and systems individuate out of initial stages of interactions. In the Shuratic process, //a(i,j)// /k becomes positive with higher values as k acquires values in dense knowledge-sets made possible by interactions and evolution to higher levels of interactive- integration.

The study of historicism, which was earlier shown by the capital-formation trajectory T(...), is defined by evolutionary individuated and conflicting trajectories in occidental order. The meaning of historicism in the Islamic order, is a perpetual process of convergence toward the unified worldview of the universe through interactions and integration inter- and intra-systemically. Hence a polar view exists between the Islamic and occidental orders in respect to the concept of the process.

Evolution to higher stages of Ijma is a function of higher knowledge-induced states of p-values and V-values. But since these values are the same as the knowledge-induced moral-material tuplets (thus n-tuples), and since these are only possible in a unified worldview, therefore, the axiomatic premise of theory construction remains unique. Higher Ijma then means a process of sharpening of the convergence toward certainty and toward realising rich diversities arising from the knowledge-induced worldview. These together address the problems of systems over historical evolutions. All of these necessitate greater denseness of the Tawhidi Epistemology, which alongwith Sunnah (Prophetic traditions), forms the foundational tenets of Shari'ah. Yet the non-substantive elements of Shari'ah that relate to localised matters, such as, customs (Adah and Urf), remain subject to well- determination by means of the same kind of discursions