Ibn Khaldun’s theory of history, economics, and group cohesion has influenced thinkers far beyond his North African homeland. His holistic approach foreshadowed modern social science, blending direct observation with cultural interpretation. A vital precursor to contemporary anthropology, his insights on solidarity, religion, and society remain relevant today.
- The first book to be published which specifically looks at Ibn Khaldun's influence on the development of anthropology.
- Ibn Khaldun is considered one of the fathers of the social sciences and retains a huge influence over 600 years after his death.
- Lawrence Rosen is a world renowned expert on Islamic justice and has been awarded the Macarthur 'genius' Grant before.
Ibn Khaldun’s theory of dynastic history, economics, and group cohesion has drawn attention far beyond his North African home. He holds a unique place in the Western imagination, cited by figures as diverse as Mark Zuckerberg and President Ronald Reagan. His holistic, functionalist approach foreshadowed the development of modern social science. Whether analyzing kin-based solidarity, the role of religion in communal life, or the interplay between the universal and the particular, his emphasis on direct observation and cultural interpretation makes him a vital progenitor to contemporary anthropology.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Note on Transcription
Introduction: Ibn Khaldun and the Anthropological Enterprise
Chapter
1. Theory as Context: The Man and His Times
Chapter
2. Social Solidarity and the Theory of Cyclical History
Chapter
3. Free Will and the Individual
Chapter
4. The Anthropology of Religion: Inner States and Overt Acts
Chapter
5. Sharia, Custom, and the Anthropology of Law
Chapter
6. Ibn Khaldun as an Arab Thinker
Conclusion: The Allure of the Universal, the Tug of the Particular
Appendix
References
Index
Lawrence Rosen is the Cromwell Professor of Anthropology Emeritus at Princeton University and Adjunct Professor Emeritus of Law at Columbia University. He is a member of the bar of the United States Supreme Courtand has received multiple teaching awards and the Royal Anthropological Institutes Donne Award
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