Ibn Khaldun: En kompletterande introduktion

Abstract

Ibn Khaldun: A suplementary introduction

Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406) is internationally recognized as a pioneering figure in sociology, state theory, and philosophy of history. Despite this, his work has received limited attention within Swedish political science. This article provides a complementary introduction to Ibn Khaldun by situating his thought within the international scholarly literature, examining the breadth of his analytical contributions, and discussing his marginal position within the political science canon. Through a set of comparative tables, the article demonstrates how Khaldun’s analyses address a wide range of core social scientific concerns, including social cohesion, state formation and decline, political authority, economic organization, and historical change. The article argues that Ibn Khaldun should be understood as an independent social theorist rather than as a proto-version of later European thinkers, and that his work remains analytically relevant for contemporary political science.