Overview
Ibn Khaldūn (1332–1406) served courts across the Maghrib and Egypt before composing the Muqaddimah as a prolegomenon to his universal history. Drawing on political experience, he treated history as a science of social causes rather than a chronicle of wonders. Climate, economy, urban luxury, and group feeling structure his account of rise and decline.
Main ideas
Royal authority rests on ʿaṣabiyya (group feeling); conquest succeeds when solidarity is strong, then softens under sedentary luxury. The past resembles the future enough for patterned explanation. Custom and environment shape character more than pedigree alone. Critical source criticism guards against superstition and court flattery.
Major works
- Muqaddimah
- Kitāb al-ʿIbar
Legacy
Often read as a forerunner of sociology and critical historiography, he remains central to Islamic and global philosophy of history. Modern social theory cites his cycle of solidarity and decadence without reducing him to a mere precursor slogan.
Themes in this archive
Society (2) · Time (2) · Power (1)