What do you think of Ibn Khaldun's political theory?

[Julie4]

Ibn Khaldûn is one of the greatest medieval political thinkers. He comes from an Andalusian family settled in Tunis where he was born in 1332.

Remark
Andalusia is a province in southern Spain. It was conquered by the Arabs in 711 before being taken over by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492.
Ibn Khaldûn comes from a family of scholars and high officials.

Ibn Khaldûn tried to determine laws that repeat themselves in political structures. He expressed his ideas in his work, the Muqaddima or "Book of Examples".
For him, there are two ways of life in society:
“Bedouinity”: that is to say the nomadic way of life of the Bedouins. This corresponds to all people having a difficult existence (life in the desert or in the steppes). In this way of life, men are equal because the living conditions are difficult, it is necessary to be united.

Sedentariness: it is a way of life in which men are "disarmed". They are ruled by a state that levies a tax on the population in order to maintain an army.

These two ways of life are bound to meet. However, for Ibn Khaldûn, the peoples are constituted, are created, in the conquest of the State. The Khaldûnian theory implies a perpetual repetition:

Bedouinism unites to form a wave that sweeps away everything in its path and overthrows the state. A sedentary lifestyle can do nothing in the face of the solidarity and violence that unite the nomadic clans

the Bedouins become the masters of the city. They settle down, create a dynasty and settle down

for fear of being overthrown in turn, the dominant clan disarms its own troops. The state is exhausting its own resources to stay in power (paying mercenaries, raising more taxes, etc.)

the State, which had become weak, was in turn overthrown by a new tribal groundswell.

Because of the limited format here I have been obliged to give only a cursory summary of Ibn Khaldun's theory. therefore I advise you to read his book

[IMuser]

It assumes that the state will not research or take measures to defend itself. Even if the individuals in a state are physically weak, if they develop methods to retain their power, then they may win over nomads

For example, any individual in any society today might be a lot weaker than their ancestors (like grandparents or grand gran parents) but the state still has a section of people whose job is to protect (soldiers, police) and a certain section which provides them the efficient means to do so (researchers, engineers).

[andreasderjuengere]

Ibn Whatever - this indicates to me a ''Muslim World'' thinker.
The few I got to read about make me disinterested to read any more of that self-serving crap. From the past, or from the present.
If it comforts you: the ''Western'' political theorists are crap as well to me :)
...
if someone comes along with a BRAND NEW idea - though - I will listen. I wish, I had one myself.

[greenice27]

People living in the desert, in the villages, in the rural areas are more effective than the urban ones. We can see this from the example of Bedouinism.

[greenice27]

Ibn Khaldun is one of the most important sociologists in history.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like an infidel. Dues Vault...

[SignedAutographs]

What?

[Anonymous]

Seems interesting.