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" Al-'Asabiyya in Context: "
Abou-Tabickh, Lilian
Williams, Melissa S
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1105735
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| Doc. No
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TLpq2322186112
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| Main Entry
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Abou-Tabickh, Lilian
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Williams, Melissa S
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| Title & Author
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Al-'Asabiyya in Context:\ Abou-Tabickh, LilianWilliams, Melissa S
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| College
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University of Toronto (Canada)
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| Date
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2019
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| student score
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2019
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Page No
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261
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| Abstract
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The purpose of this dissertation is to understand the meaning of the term Al-'Aṣabiyya in Al-Muqaddima of Ibn Khaldūn in context. In Al-Muqaddima, he constructs a method for the scientific study of history, the subject matter of which is human association. Human association is necessary for human beings, but by its nature, it requires political authority and economic organization. By order of existence, political authority is acquired only by al-‘aṣabiyya. Therefore, al-‘aṣabiyya is an “essential condition” in the world, and it can be perceived by the senses and the intellect. It is a power that “secures” political victory, and as such, it becomes the source that enables protection and the preservation of human life, the development of urban culture through the management of economic cooperation, and social harmony. In this study, I use a linguistic-contextual method to show that the form of al-'aṣabiyya that secures political authority is not natural, irrational, or aggressive. Rather, it is the fruit of the labour of unity and agreement between individuals and groups (‘aṣabiyyāt). It is a power that individuals manufacture intentionally either by way of descent, alliance, or allegiance to gain political authority. They are ahl al-‘aṣabiyya who achieve their goal “in the ordinary way,” that is, by overcoming others by their power of unity, and praiseworthy qualities. This study also shows that there is no organic connection between al-‘aṣabiyya and the form or quality of rulership. In fact, Ibn Khaldūn’s rejection of hereditary rule, condemnation of tyranny, and argument against the necessity of prophecy show that rational politics suffices for the management of human association. His statement on the science of physics, the use of the term “matter” in an economic sense to mean money, and the connection between injustice and economic policies show that the decline of the polity is not natural but a matter of choice between moderation and excessiveness. The detailed exposition of these various elements shows that the pattern of history in Al-Muqaddima is not cyclical. Instead, history is a narrative about cultural transmission, political and historical continuity, the expansion of one power, and the contraction of another.
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Islam
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Middle Eastern studies
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Political science
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