Rediscovering Ibn Khaldun

Exploring the work and legacy of a visionary scholar, and reasons for his obscurity

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406),  born in Tunis in 1332, was a highly influential Arab historian, philosopher, political scientist and sociologist who made significant contributions to various fields of knowledge.  His home (Khaldūniyyah quarter) in Tunis still stands almost unchanged, with the house where he was believed to have been born still present after 700 years. 

A polymath (which means expert in multiple subjects), his work spans political science, sociology, history and economics. Relatively unknown till the beginning of 20th century in the western world, he is currently regarded as the greatest Arab scholar in the field of humanity. His masterpiece, the Muqaddimah, contains a groundbreaking philosophy of history and serves as a testament to his intellectual prowess. Additionally, his definitive history of Muslim North Africa further cements his status as an influential historian and scholar.

Some of his most notable accomplishments include:

1. The Muqaddimah: Ibn Khaldun's most famous work is the Muqaddimah (Introduction), a comprehensive treatise on history, sociology, and philosophy. It is considered as one of the earliest works of social theory and is often regarded as a foundational text in the fields of sociology, historiography, and political science.

2. Historiography: Ibn Khaldun developed a new approach to the study of history, emphasizing the importance of understanding the underlying causes and patterns of historical events. He believed that history should be based on critical analysis and empirical evidence rather than simply recounting events.

3. Sociology: He explored the dynamics of social cohesion, conflict, and change in society and introduced the concept of asabiyyah, which refers to the social solidarity and group consciousness that binds a community together. His ideas on the rise and fall of civilizations have been highly influential in the field of sociology.

4. Political philosophy: Ibn Khaldun's political ideas, particularly his analysis of the nature of power and the relationship between religion and politics, have had a lasting impact on political thought in the Islamic world and beyond.

5. Economic thought: Ibn Khaldun's contributions to economic thought include his analysis of the role of labor, capital, and markets in economic development and his recognition of the importance of supply and demand in determining prices.

Despite his monumental contributions, Ibn Khaldun's work has been overlooked in Western academia until recently. People are now discussing his groundbreaking theories, proposed long before these disciplines were formalized in western world. The crucial question arises: why was his legacy buried so deep that its full excavation only occurred in the 21st century? In contrast, later philosophers such as Adam Smith, Machiavelli, and Comte, whose works were inspired by or comparable to Ibn Khaldun's ideas, became foundational for many Western nations and academic disciplines, while Khaldun's ideas were lost until the present day.

The primary cause is academia's Eurocentricity, rooted in colonialism and its institutions, which fostered an orientalist disregard for Arab and Eastern scholarship. Language barriers likely further limited pre-modern scholarly recognition. Notably, credible claims suggest that Ibn Khaldun's ideas influenced prominent thinkers such as Adam Smith, Hegel, Marx, Comte, Ricardo, and Machiavelli.

Apart from orientalism in the western academia, the Muslim and Arab worlds must reflect on their lack of appreciation for Liberal science thinkers like Ibn Khaldun, which contributed to his diminished prominence. Some of the reasons include:

• Criticism of Arab societies: Ibn Khaldun's critical analysis of Arab societies, particularly his views on the decline of Arab dynasties, was not well-received by the ruling elites of his time. His emphasis on the cyclical nature of history and the rise and fall of civilizations challenged the narrative of continuous Arab glory that many Arab rulers preferred to uphold.

• Innovative ideas: Ibn Khaldun's innovative ideas on history, sociology, and politics were ahead of their time, and some of his contemporaries had difficulty understanding or accepting them. It often takes time for society to recognize and appreciate the importance of groundbreaking ideas, and Ibn Khaldun's work was no exception.

• Language barrier: While Ibn Khaldun's works were originally written in Arabic, many of them were later translated into Turkish and gained more prominence in the Ottoman Empire than in the Arab world. This linguistic barrier may have contributed to a slower dissemination of his ideas among Arabs.

Like they say past is past, the crucial thing to examine is whether the behavior of contemporary Muslims, particularly those in the Western world, mirrors that of the Arabs during Ibn Khaldun's time. Do we still face the same challenges in comprehending his work and its importance? Appreciating, promoting, and building upon Ibn Khaldun's work is impossible without first understanding his writings and the works of subsequent philosophers in the same field. For a scholar’s work to thrive and be recognized, they should find successors who can build on their ideas and develop it using the techniques of the time which includes mathematical modeling, empirical evidence collection for finding acceptance in the prevailing academic framework. Unfortunately, Ibn Khaldun did not find a healthy chain of successors to solidify his scholarship in Muslim world.

The ongoing neglect of Liberal science in the Muslim world risks repeating medieval mistakes. Without embracing intellectual awakening in Muslim world:

a) Muslim scholarship will continue to fall behind its Western counterpart,

b) This will in turn create reliance on the West for pragmatic solutions to complex issues such as climate change, wealth inequalities, labor markets, and political stability.   

This is the primary motivation for starting the project Muslim Intellectual Network for Empowerment (MINE), which is to awaken the intellectual curiosity and appreciation of thoughts in Liberal sciences such as the work of Ibn Khaldun and build upon it to gain leadership in these fields.

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Thanks to

Ayesha

for her contribution to this post.