| Abstract [eng] |
Philosophy in Ibn Ḫaldūn’s cultural milieu was understood as a way of life oriented toward the salvation of the rational soul. On the one hand, Ibn Ḫaldūn follows al-Ġazālī in his critique of philosophy, particularly philosophical metaphysics, which he contrasts with Islamic metaphysics. For this reason, Ibn Ḫaldūn criticized the influence of philosophy on Islamic theology. On the other hand, as this study shows, Ibn Ḫaldūn’s thought diverges from that of al-Ġazālī on the issues of causality and essentialism. Ibn Ḫaldūn grounds his entire theory of civilization on the premise of naturalistic essentialism. Human beings and cultures possess an inherent nature (ṭabī’ah) that determines their development and characteristics. For this reason, it can be argued that Ibn Ḫaldūn’s theory of civilization is philosophical in nature, even though he did not consider himself a philosopher. |
