He developed his vast knowledge of the Straussian School of Philosophy at the University of Chicago, where he earned his masters and doctorate degrees in political science, allowing him to teach at institutions such as Harvard and Georgetown Universities. Butterworth also attended the University of Nancy, in France, where he earned his doctorate in philosophy.
In addition to teaching at the University of Maryland, Butterworth was the Principal Investigator for the Smithsonian-sponsored Project in Medieval Islamic Logic in Cairo, Egypt for many years. He also served as the Principal Investigator for a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, establishing a two-week seminar about the similarities between Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions.
Due to his passion for understanding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and explaining it well to his students, Butterworth is also heavily involved with Continuing Education and Extension Project for Palestinians and Teachers on the West Bank and Gaza (CEEPAT), a program that enhances teachers' knowledge of the debate over the West Bank and Gaza.
The purpose of Butterworth's lecture was to explain the basics and contemporary significance of Islamic political philosophy. As he said, "I must talk about the past, in order to talk and understand the present." Butterworth explained that Islamic political philosophy comes from medieval Arabic written in the Middle Ages, from the years A.D. 866-1406, during which great learning flourished in the Middle East. Arabic was the dominant language of many philosophers.
"There were eight major Arabic philosophers who influenced the Muslim culture, and the two most significant were Alkindi and Ibn Rushd," Butterworth said. Alkindi was considered the philosopher of the Arabs and developed his philosophy primarily from Aristotle's metaphysical writings. Ibn Rushd translated Aristotle and tried to understand what his writing meant. On Rashd, Butterworth said, "[He was] the preserve of Aristotle and his commentaries."
Both philosophers aimed to try to explain the world around them in the most rational terms. They recognized the limits of human reason and why one should not abandon the attempt to understand them. They wanted to get the people to think about the purpose of the lawgiver and what was necessary for politics to work.
Butterworth believes that both philosophers saw justice as the sum of all virtue, but that wisdom must also exist for justice to thrive. In addition, the philosophers believed that religion must be subordinate to philosophy.
During his lecture, Butterworth tried to connect the Iraq War to Islamic political philosophy, but found it difficult. "There really is no way to apply the reasonings of these philosophers to the Iraq War because there is no rational thinking or talking going on there," Butterworth said.