Ibn Khaldun and The Zeitgeist

The Timeless Relevance of Ibn Khaldun's Theory: Understanding the Zeitgeist Through Asabiyyah and ʿUmran"

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) was an Arab (possibly Amazigh) historian, sociologist, and philosopher who wrote the Muqaddimah (Introduction), a groundbreaking work that explains the rise and fall of civilizations using a philosophy of history that does not rely on divine intervention or revelation. In this post, I will show how his concepts of asabiyyah (group solidarity) and ʿumrān (civilization) can help us understand some of the challenges and opportunities that we face in our contemporary world.

Asabiyyah

According to Ibn Khaldun, human societies are formed by groups of people who share a common bond of kinship, religion, culture, or ideology. These groups have a strong sense of loyalty and mutual support, which gives them an advantage over other groups in war and politics. However, as these groups grow larger and more powerful, they tend to become corrupted by luxury, decadence, and bureaucracy. They lose their original asabiyyah and become vulnerable to internal divisions and external challenges.

Ibn Khaldun applied this theory to explain the history of North Africa and the Middle East under various dynasties such as the Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimids, Almoravids, Almohads, Mamluks, Mongols, and Ottomans. He also used it to analyze his own personal experiences with political turmoil and civil war in Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, and Egypt.

How does this theory relate to our current zeitgeist? One possible way to apply it is to look at how different groups in our society have different levels of asabiyyah and how that affects their political behavior and outcomes. For example:

Some ethnic or religious minorities may have a high degree of asabiyyah due to their shared identity and history of oppression or discrimination. They may use their collective strength to demand recognition and rights from the dominant majority or state.

Some ideological movements may have a high degree of asabiyyah due to their shared vision and values. They may use their collective influence to promote their agenda and challenge the status quo or establishment.

Some national or regional entities may have a high degree of asabiyyah due to their shared culture and interests. They may use their collective power to assert their autonomy and sovereignty from the central government or supranational organization.

Some global or transnational entities may have a low degree of asabiyyah due to their diverse composition and interests. They may face difficulties in maintaining their cohesion and legitimacy amid rising populism and nationalism.

ʿUmran

Ibn Khaldun defined ʿumrān (civilization) as "an increase in creation through God's help; it means an increase in population accompanied by well-being for those who live comfortably." He argued that civilization depends on three factors: human labor, natural resources, and capital accumulation. He also recognized that civilization has both material and moral aspects: "Civilization includes worldly affairs such as royal authority; armies; guards; revenues; prosperity for all residents through justice."

Ibn Khaldun viewed civilizations as dynamic processes that go through cyclical patterns of growth and decline. He identified four stages of this cycle:

1. Establishment Stage: a tribal society characterized by strong asabiyyah based on kinship or religion. The ruler is more a chief than a lord or a king.

2. Personal Power Stage: a sedentary society characterized by urbanization, agriculture, and specialization of labor. The ruler succeeds in monopolizing power by destroying his rivals and relying on bureaucrats and mercenaries.

3. Leisure and Tranquility Stage: a prosperous society characterized by luxury, culture, and science. The ruler enjoys peace and stability but loses his asabiyyah.

4. Contentment and Peacefulness Stage: a decadent society characterized by corruption, bureaucracy, and feudalism. The ruler becomes complacent and neglects his duties.

5. Waste and Disintegration Stage: a crisis-ridden society characterized by despotism, tyranny, and anarchy. The ruler loses his legitimacy and authority.

He explained that civilizations go through this cycle because of the natural human tendency towards luxury and comfort, which leads to the decay of social cohesion and the rise of corruption and despotism. However, he also believed that civilizations have the potential to renew themselves through the rise of a new group of people with asabiyyah, who are able to overthrow the old order and establish a new one.

--

One of the issues that we face currently in our age is the loss of social cohesion and solidarity in our increasingly complex and diverse societies. This issue can be related to Ibn Khaldun’s concept of asabiyyah, which he defined as the bond of cohesion among humans in a group-forming community. According to Ibn Khaldun, asabiyyah is strongest in the nomadic phase of civilization, and decreases as civilization advances and becomes more urbanized and specialized. As asabiyyah declines, civilizations become more vulnerable to internal divisions and external challenges.

This can help us understand some of the problems that we encounter in our modern world, such as social fragmentation, polarization, alienation, and anomie. It can also help us appreciate some of the benefits and challenges of diversity, multiculturalism, and globalization. How can we maintain or restore a sense of asabiyyah in our societies without resorting to nationalism or partisanship? How can we balance our individual and collective interests and identities? How can we foster a culture of dialogue and cooperation among different groups and perspectives?

We can use his insights to understand some of the challenges and opportunities that we face in our modern world, such as:

• Diversity: Ibn Khaldun recognized that diversity can be a source of strength or weakness for a society, depending on how it affects its asabiyyah. He observed that some groups have high asabiyyah because they share a common identity or history of oppression or discrimination. They may use their collective power to demand recognition or rights from others. Other groups have low asabiyyah because they are diverse or divided by interests or ideologies. They may face difficulties in maintaining their cohesion or legitimacy amid rising populism or nationalism.

• Globalization: Ibn Khaldun recognized that globalization can be a source of growth or decline for a civilization, depending on how it affects its umran. He observed that some civilizations benefit from globalization because they have abundant natural resources or capital accumulation. They may use their economic influence to promote their agenda or challenge others. Other civilizations suffer from globalization because they lack human labor or economic development. They may face difficulties in competing or surviving amid rising inequality or environmental degradation.

• Dialogue: Ibn Khaldun recognized that dialogue can be a source of renewal or destruction for a civilization, depending on how it affects its cycle. He observed that some civilizations renew themselves through dialogue because they have new groups with strong asabiyyah who overthrow the old order and establish a new one. They may use their intellectual influence to innovate or reform themselves or others. Other civilizations destroy themselves through dialogue because they have old groups with weak asabiyyah who succumb to the new order and lose their identity. They may use their emotional influence to resist or rebel against themselves or others.

Ibn Khaldun was a brilliant thinker who developed a philosophy of history and society that is still relevant today. He explored how groups and civilizations rise and fall, using reason and evidence instead of myths and legends. He also created a new discipline that he called “the science of culture”, which studied human society and its transformations. If you want to learn more about his life and ideas, you can read his autobiography, The Autobiography of Ibn Khaldun, or his masterpiece, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History. You can also read some modern interpretations of his work, such as Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography by Robert Irwin, or Ibn Khaldun’s Philosophy of History: A Study in the Philosophic Foundation of the Science of Culture by Muhsin Mahdi.