Muslim Footprints

S2 Ep 7: The World, According to Ibn Khaldun


Listen Later

Happy new year, friends, and welcome to our first episode of 2025! We are continuing Season Two with Ibn Khaldun, a medieval historian who was fascinated by the way societies function. Telling us his story is Professor Gabriel Martinez-Gros, one of France’s most renowned experts of Islam.

 

The episode explores Ibn Khaldun’s life and the context in which he wrote. It also examines the cyclical nature of history he proposed, which goes something like this. States are built around a violent minority that subdues the majority sedentary population. Eventually these violent groups, who in Ibn Khaldoun’s time were nomads or Bedouin, soften and become more and more like the sedentary population they rule. In other words, these wolves become like the sheep they govern – so to maintain control of the state, they have to call on new wolves to help them. These new violent groups first support, and then supplant, the old elite.

 

The discussion highlights how Ibn Khaldun's insights into the complicated relationship between the authorities and society remain pertinent today, especially in light of contemporary challenges.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Muslim FootprintsBy The Ismaili & Kalima Communications

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

48 ratings


More shows like Muslim Footprints

View all
Ideas by CBC

Ideas

365 Listeners

The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

3,856 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

283 Listeners

a16z Podcast by Andreessen Horowitz

a16z Podcast

1,008 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,343 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,758 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

15,801 Listeners

The Thinking Muslim by Muhammad Jalal

The Thinking Muslim

149 Listeners

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos by Pushkin Industries

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

14,589 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

5,970 Listeners

This Being Human by Aga Khan Museum & TVO

This Being Human

23 Listeners

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

9,759 Listeners

Empire by Goalhanger

Empire

1,864 Listeners

What Now? with Trevor Noah by Spotify Studios

What Now? with Trevor Noah

3,717 Listeners

Gems of Wisdom by The Ismaili

Gems of Wisdom

37 Listeners