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Ibn Khaldun’s Theory of Social Change: A Comparison with Western

Social Thoughts

Conference Paper · December 2015

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2841.9922

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 +
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary
International Conference
Ibn Khaldun’s Theory of Social Change: A
Comparison with Western Social Thoughts

Juwel Rana Toufica Sultana

Faculty Member Staff Researcher
East West University RED, BRAC
Founder & Director, SAYRID Associate Editor, SAJSS
Managing Editor, SAJSS Co-founder, SAYRID
Website: www.juwelrana.com; www.sajss.sayrid.org
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+
Presentation Outline

 Introduction

 Social Change

 Western Theories of Social Change

 Khaldun’s Theory of Social Change

 Experiences through Muslim Countries

 Conclusion

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

+
Introduction
 Social change

 to examine Ibn Khaldun’s theory of social change

 comparison with Western theories of social

change

 secondary resources particularly reviewing the

al-Muqaddimah and scholarly articles on Ibn
Khaldun’s philosophy of social change

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

+
Social Change??????????????
 Society- web of social relationship
(MacIver & Page, 1950)

 Social change- change in the system of

social relationships (MacIver & Page,
1950)

 Social change is the alteration in social

relations or sociocultural evolution
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+ Nature of Social Change
Social Natures of Social Change
Scientists
M.E. Jones variations in, or modifications of , any aspect of social processes,
social patterns, social interaction or social organization
Kingsley Davis alterations in structure and functions in society
H.T. Majumdar a new fashion or mode, either modifying or replacing the old, in
the life of a people-or in the operation of society
MacIver & changes in the manmade conditions of life, attitude & beliefs,
Page biological and physical nature
Gillin & Gillin variations from the accepted modes of life due to change in
geographical conditions, equipment, population, ideologies by
diffusion or innovation within the group
M.D. Jenson modification in ways of doing and thinking of people
Merril & large number of persons engagement in activities which differ
Eldredge from them and their immediate forefathers engaged in
sometime before
S. Koenig modification in the life pattern of a people
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+ Nature of Social Change
Social Nature of Social Change
Scientists
Lundberg et modification in established patterns of inter human relationships
al. and standards of conduct
Anderson & alteration in the structure or functioning of social forms or
Parker processes themselves
M. Ginsberg change in social structure, size of a society, composition or balance
of its parts or the type of its organization
Moore a significant alteration over time in behavior patterns & culture
Anthony transformation, over time, of the institutions and culture of a society
Giddens
Nico alteration of social mechanisms involving changes in cultural
Wilterdink symbols, rules of behavior, social organizations and value systems

Ibn Khaldun change in religious beliefs and the capacity to preserve the innate
goodness of human nature; and materialistic perception

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

+ Unique Factors of Social Change
 inherent either in social system in general or in particular kinds of
social system: strain & conflict, social problems, revolutions and
upheavals, cultural change

 impact of social environment: political alliances, military invasions,

peaceful immigration, trade shifts

 Impact of non-social environment: soil erosion, deforestation,

exhaustion of mineral resources (Harry M. Johnson)

 Geographic or physical factors: earth, climate, rainfall, river, mountains,

natural vegetation, forests, animal life, minerals etc. (Giddens, 2006)

 Cultural factors: religion, leadership & communication systems like

invention

 Political organization: military power (Giddens, 2006)

 Biological factors: size, growth & composition of population

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+ 6 Key Issues for Theories of
Social Change
The character of change-1. Endogenous vs. Exogenous:
generated within the social system vs. external factors
2. Inevitable vs. Contingent: The idea of progress vs. the
rejection of metanarratives

The character of the social-3. Methodological

individualism vs. Sociological realism : agency (Proper) vs.
(common sense or structure) 4. Materialism vs. Idealism:
rationalization, justification, desires, needs vs. meaningful
social interactions & phenomenological

The nature of explanation- 5. objectivity vs. commitment:

systematic, scientific vs. emotional, moral or political
commitment 6. Rationalism-logically impregnable (Rene
Descartes) vs. Empiricism- observation of the real world
(Francis Bacon) (Noble p.4-16)

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

+ Western Theories of Social Change
Theorists Dynamics of Change Direction
Spencer Survival of the fittest & Social Darwinism: Evolution Linear
Comte Theological, Metaphysical and Positivism: The law of Linear
progress
Durkheim Mechanical to organic society: Moral density Linear
Tonnies Gemeinschaft & Gelleselment: The loss of community Linear
Spengler Study on 8 major civilizations- Life-cycle, birth, Cyclical
maturity, old age & death; biological than
astrological: The density of civilization
Toynbee Challenge & Response: environmental then internal Cyclical
& external factors. Culture arises, ripens, decay
Pareto Circulation of elite or persistence of elite: Rational & Cyclical
non-rational action
Sorokin Trendless pattern of social change like swinging Cyclical
pendulum that moves one way and come back from
another. Ideational, Idealistic & Sensate
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+Western Theories of Social Change
Theorists Dynamics of Change Direction
Marx & Slavery-Feudalism-Capitalism-Socialism: Material Linear
Hegel Condition and Dialectical relationship
Weber Ideas & social change: methodological individualism Linear
Parsons Particularism & Universalism oriented society Linear
Cooley Primary & Secondary group society Linear
Redfield Folk & Urban society Linear
D. Lerner Traditional & Modern Society Linear
Howard Sacred & Secular Society Linear
Becker
Rostow Traditional society, Preconditions for take-off, Take-off, Linear
Drive to maturity & Age of High mass consumption
Frank & Center & Periphery or Metropolis Linear
Wallerstain
Postmoder Modernity, Postmodernity , crisis and change in society Linear
nists
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
 + Ibn Khaldun (b. Tunis 1332-1406)
 Abu Zayd 'Abd al-Rahman Ibnu Khaldun received a good education.

 served as assistant and secretary to several government officials and good

at mathematics, logic and philosophy

 led an extremely eventful life, traveling to, among other places, Mecca,
Damascus. Palestine and Seville, and occasionally finding enough leisure
time to teach, study, and write.

 Family social and political activist; studying the Qur'an and Arabic
linguistics for an understanding of the Qur'an, Hadith [1] and Fiqh [2]

 lost both his parents to an epidemic of the plague which hit Tunis, when he
was 17 years old

 In a typical Muslim family, follow family tradition is common, that is where

he strove for a political career

 And he life adventure begin, in which he spends time in prison, reaches

the highest offices and falls again into exile.
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+
Khaldun’s Philosophy of Social Change

Islamic orthodoxy Vs. Philosophic Inquiry:

Quran vs. primacy of reason and skillfully reconcile
revelation to reason. Changes occur due to material
and non-material forces:
Culture. Culture is a product of human interaction

Society and Individual: Marx suggested a

teleological progress determined by material
forces but for the Ibn Khaldun there is no ultimate
telos or end stages in history. Khaldun also said that
culture is the product human interaction.
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
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 The Social Character of Man: Ibn Khaldun, like Marx &
Durkheim believes the dynamic nature of civilization or
transition in cities, towns & village. Societies move from
simple organization to more complex organization. Two
types of civilizations: the desert( badawa=bedouins)
civilization, found in outlying regions and mountain; and
sedentary (hadarah) civilization, found in small
communities and cities. That means, Khaldun believed in
various states in the historical process. Hadarah-settled
life while Badawah-tribal life.

 Asabiyyah: the means of social change: Asabiyyah-

group feeling, group solidarity and group consciousness
as well as an associative sentiment, unity of purpose and
community of social, political, and economic interests.
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+
 Factors that create Asabiyyah: Power, Leadership and
Religion
 Factors that weaken Asabiyyah: Wealth & corruption
 Ibn Khaldun: Great sympathy with Bedouin society and
Resentful of sedentary materialistic (Ettaref) society.
 He found similarities between Bedouin society and new
Muslim society: both society had a strong sense of
solidarity.
 Al-asabiyya was the social bond and the Muslim
brotherhood was the binding factor for the new multi-
ethnic society.
 His writings were influenced by Islamic thinking where the
simple people adhere to new religious belief by nature
while the rich people undermines the Islamic values and
living in luxury.
3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015
+  The Roots of the Dualist Sociological Typology of
Western Sociologists
 Ibn Khaldun’s Sociological Concept of Change
 Ibn Khaldun and Marx
 The Islamic Nature of Ibn Khaldun’s Thinking
 The Three Revolution and the Process of
Development
 Ibn Khaldun’s View of Civilization Dialectics
 A New Society is Problematic
 The Notion of Development and its Ethic s in
Western Social Scientist
 Development and Materialism in both
Sociologies

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

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 The nature of relative knowledge of Social Sciences

 Boudon and Popper’s Criticisms of Grand Theories of

Social Change

 The middle range theories of social change

 The Reassessment of orthodox science and rigid

determinism

 Khaldun and Western Sociologists on Determinism and

science

 Some of the roots of the crisis of modern theories of

social change

 The concept of methodological individualism and the

explanation of social phenomena

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

+ Khaldun’s Theory of Change

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

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References

 Giddens, A. (2006). Sociology (6th ed.), The Polity Press:

London

 Mohammad, F. (). Ibn Khaldun’s Theory of Social Change: A

Comparison with Hegel, Marx and Durkheim. The American
Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 15(2), 25-45.

 Dhaouadi, M. (2006). The concept in the Thought of Ibn

Khaldun and Western Classical Sociologists, Islam
Arastirmalari Dergisi, Sayi (16), 43-87.

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

+
Uphold Khaldun’s as well
as Eastern Sociological
Views

3rd Biruni Interdisciplinary International Conference, 10-12 December 2015

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