Political Philosophy
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IbnKhaldun.pptxIbn Khaldoun
Brief Historical Background:
Walī al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan Ibn Khaldūn
Born May 27, 1332 in Tunisia. Died March 17 1406 in Cairo.
He was a leading Tunisian Arab historiographer and historian. He is widely considered as a forerunner of the modern disciplines of historiography, sociology, economics, and demography.
Most important work: Al-Muquaddimah.
Main Philosophies:
Human co-operation and social organization is an inescapable necessity for survival.
Authority is an essential element to provide a “restraining influence” to prevent injustice.
“Asabbiyah” or the tribalism, is the building block of empires.
The weaker the ‘Asabiyyah, the closer an empire is to collapse.
Geography and environmental conditions affect the physical characteristics and the behavior of people.
“The harsh conditions of desert life, with the limited access to material goods, luxuries and amenities combined with strong leadership are the root basis and origins of most civilizations and empires – and especially the Islamic polities.”
To him, civilization is a phenomena that will be present as long as humans exist. He characterized the fulfillment of basic needs as the beginning of civilization. At the beginning, people will look for different ways of increasing productivity of basic needs and expansion will occur. This is where Alasabiya will grow as a way of society’s self defense.
Later the society starts becoming more sedentary and focuses more on crafting, arts and the more refined characteristics. The society will thus be more open and the Asabiya will slowly wither. By the end of a society, it will weaken, allowing another small group of individuals to come into control. The conquering group is described as an unsatisfied group within the society itself or a group of desert bandits that constantly attack other weaker or weakened societies.
He heavily emphasized that a good society would be one in which a tradition of education is deeply rooted in its culture.
Another key factor for the success of the society that Ibn Khaldun emphasizes in his work is the mastery of crafts, habits and skills. These takes place after a society is established and according to Ibn Khaldun the level of achievement of a society can be determined by just analyzing these three concepts.
Craft – to survive
Habit – society has the habit to do the crafts that makes it survive better
Craft turns into a skill and society is urban.
How Nomads come together:
The Cyclic Rise and Fall of Nations
Two dichotomous groups exist: the Nomads and the Sedentary.
Sedentary people revel in decadence and luxury, become weak.
Nomads unite and overturn sedentary rulers. Become new rulers.
Nomads slowly become Sedentary people and become weak.
Cycle repeats itself.
The Four Stages of Empires:
Stage one: Ruler rules over his people equitably and shares power with them.
Stage two: Leader consolidates his territory, picks few trusted men to check the authority of his original followers, thus establishing a dynasty. Despotism appears in this stage.
Stage 3: Epitome of Civilization and beginning of its decay. Ruler and populace fall prey to the refined elements of life and luxury and focus on the acquisition of wealth in their sedentary mentality, becoming weak and cowardly, losing their former military prowess.
Stage 4: weakening of Asabiyah and the original qualities which helped establish their initial power, hence making them vulnerable to outside attacks from a fresh nomadic group who are at stage one of the cycle.
What is the best system of ruling?
DEPENDS ON THE SOCIETY!!!
