Concerning the discipline of sociology, IBN KHALDUN conceived a theory of social conflict. He developed the dichotomy of sedentary life versus nomadic life as well as the concept of a generation, and the inevitable loss of power that occurs when desert warriors conquer a city. Following a contemporary Arab scholar, Sati al-Husri, the Muqaddimah may be read as a sociological work: six books of general sociology. Topics dealt with in this work include politics, urban life, economics, and knowledge. The work is based around Ibn Khalduns central concept of asabiyyah, which has been translated as social cohesion, group solidarity, or tribalism. This social cohesion arises spontaneously in tribes and other small kinship groups; it can be intensified and enlarged by a religious ideology. Ibn Khalduns analysis looks at how this cohesion carries groups to power but contains within itself the seeds – psychological, sociological, economic, political – of the groups downfall, to be replaced by a new group, dynasty or empire bound by a stronger (or at least younger and more vigorous) cohesion. For more on Ibn Khaldun please see- muslimphilosophy/ik/klf.htm cis-ca.org/voices/k/khaldun_mn.htm
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 18:23:42 +0000
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