The first aim of this thesis is to comprehend the political thought of al-Farabi (d.950) as fully as possible. Special attention is given to his views on types of non-virtuous states and international relations. It goes on to assess whether there is any possibility that his theory of state can be extended to a world state. Lastly, the thesis is concluded by setting out al-Farabi's position in Islamic mediaeval political philosophy and in the world history of political thought. The thesis consists of an introduction, five main chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction deals with the character of al-Farabi as a political thinker in general and examines previous studies of al-Farabi's political thought. The first chapter discusses al-Farabi's concept of 'political science' and his basic philosophical views. The second chapter examines his doctrines of happiness, society and political education. The third chapter is concerned with al-Farabi's framework of the virtuous state. The fourth chapter focuses on the types of the non-virtuous state. The fifth chapter centres on al-Farabi's view of international relations. The conclusion presents al-Farabi's contribution to Islamic political thought and the results of this analysis of his political works.