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.
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. Shari'a, 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
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 Institute's Donne Award
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