Ibn Khaldun and the Science of Umran

• Ethics is related to individuals, while politics is related to the common good and power.
• Sociology is a general topic which the previous two fall underneath.

Timeline

• 776-320 BC: Ancient Greek Civilization (Athens).
• 320-30 BC: Hellenistic Period.
• 30 BC - 476 AD: Roman Empire.
• 827-1258: Islamic Civilization.
• Golden Age of Islam.
• 762: Abbasid Caliphate
• 827: Bayt al-Hikmah founded.
• 1258: Invasion of the Mongols
• 1332: Ibn Khaldun born in Tunisia.
• 1335: End of the Mongol rule in Middle East.
• 1347: The great Plague epidemic began in Europe.
• 1354: Ottoman Turks landed in Europe.
• 1369: Timur (Tamerlane) founded his empire in Persia.
• 1377: Ibn Khaldun started writing his masterpiece (Kitab al-'Ibar).
• Book of warnings: Muqaddimah (and its famous prologue is known as such)
• 1401: Ibn Kalhdun meets Amir Timur in Damascus.

Umran

• Amirate/Kingdom leads to Umran/Civilization.
• Capital (Political) becomes City Metropolis (Sociology).

Theoretical vs Practical Sciences

• Theoretical Sciences: Maths, Physics, Metaphysics.
• Political Sciences: Sculpture, Painting, Music.
• Practical Sciences: Ethics, Political.

Assabiya Cycle

• Assabiya of the Bedouins deals with struggle against nature and living as one.
• Nomads find/nominate themselves a chief (Reis).
• Invasion of civilized kingdoms (melik-mülk).
• Moving to the city and getting accustomed to high life.
• Conquerors become civilized men.
• Sculpture, music, bridges all establish a civilization.
• Another named tribe conquers the kingdom, restarting the cycle.

Ibn Khaldun

• Ibn Khaldun was a Tunisian Arab scholar of Islam, a social scientist, philosopher, and historian.
• Considered one of the greatest philosophers of the Middle Ages.
• Founder of historiography, sociology, economics, and demography.
• Born in Tunis in AD 1332 into an upper-class family of Arab descent.
• Died on March 17th, 1406.
• His best-known book is The Muqaddimah.
• He is one of the first sociologists.
• Influenced 17th-century Ottoman historians.
• His work provides understanding of history, emphasizing social, economic, and cultural factors.
• Written by an Islamic scholar in the 14th century
• His methodology and social theories were influenced by the classical Islamic tradition.
• Muqaddimah contains advanced ideas about society for his time.
• He discussed how societies change.
• He had an idea called "asabiyyah", which is about how strong a society's unity is.
• Asabiyyah refers to social cohesion, solidarity, community, or society.
• Asabiyyah played a crucial role in the rise and fall of civilizations.
• Strong asabiyyah leads to members being united and cooperative, causing the society to thrive and succeed.
• When "asabiyyah" weakens (due to internal conflicts or loss of identity), the society declines.
• Asabiyyah reflects the social bond and collective consciousness that holds a community together, influencing its trajectory over time.
• Ibn Khaldun considered how societies are organized, their culture, and how money works, important for understanding how a society works

'Umran'

• 'Umran' translates to civilization or urban life.
• Civilizations flourish in urban centers due to trade, specialization of labor, and cultural exchange.
• Civilizations are inherently prone to decay and decline due to loss of social cohesion and the rise of luxury among the ruling class.
• This adds depth to Ibn Khaldun's analysis of societal development.
• It complements theories on "asabiyyah" and social change.
• He wrote on economic theory and policy in "Kitab al-'Ibar" and "Muqaddimah."
• His economic ideas were groundbreaking, emphasizing labor productivity, supply and demand dynamics, and the role of government in regulating economic activity.
• Contributions to economics.
• Emphasized observation and analysis in historical writing and social sciences.
• Using an observational method is necessary to understand historical events and societal development.
• His ideas continue to have an impact today.
• Explored the dynamics of power, governance, and political institutions, offering insights into the nature of states and rulership.
• He also influenced political theorists throughout history.

Plato's Theory of History (Decline)

• Golden Age: Monarchy and Aristocracy.
• Silver Age: Mixed government.
• Bronze Age: Democracy.
• White becomes Hybrid then Black.

History

• History tells us the events that happened (it can't be a science)
• Rotation of the earth around the sun
• Tragedy says the event will happen

Theories of History

• Events happen once but processes are repeated
• Cyclical Theory
• Decline Theory
• Progress Theory
• The past was better according to traditional theory but in modern theory the future will be better

Umran (Civilization)

• Bedouin culture (Nomad/Barbaric)
• Hadara Civilization (Urban/Civilization)
• Nomads become Urbanized

Assabiyah

• Team spirit
• Group solidarity
• Volksgeist
• Clan/tribe leads to city
• Clan (Asabiye) leads to state (mülk)
• Reis (chef) leads to melik (king)

Climate Theory

• Geography is destiny

• Polar Zone is too cold for Umran

• temperate zone is suitable

• Desert Zone is too hot for Umran