PROLOGUE

This book is prepared with two purposes in mind. One is to provide a clear idea about Ibn Khaldun’s thoughts on the rise and fall of the states in general and on sociology of economic and public finance in particular. The second is to provide, as comprehensive as possible, a bibliography on Ibn Khaldun in Turkish, English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. The authors hope that this book will be a key for those who would like to delve further into the writings of one of the greatest of all social scientist.

PREFACE

The Center for Alternative Policies is entering its sixth year stronger than ever before. The knowledge we have acquired during the past five years strengthens our belief that non-governmental organizations will occupy important positions in the arena of domestic and foreign policy with greater efficiency. In fact, they function at an increasing work tempo together with super state institutions that dominate policy in major states all over the world. This is made quite clear in the address Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO, gave to non-governmental organizations right after taking the post and in that of Mrs. Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State of the United States, who clearly expressed that the new US Government will cooperate closely with them. The work non-governmental organizations undertake in economic, social and cultural fields is quite noticeable in developed as well as developing countries.

The book entitled Ibn Khaldun: Thoughts on his Life and Work, which we are offering to the Turkish readers, is one evidence of our efforts. Ibn Khaldun was a social scientist and philosopher who lived in the fourteenth century and for whose recognition Europe waited for centuries. He was introduced as ‘Machiavelli/Montesquieu of the Orient,’ which is a Euro-centrist view that, granted, raises him into prominence, yet degrades his importance in social sciences, for the opposite can equally be said by calling Machiavelli/Montesquieu the ‘Ibn Khaldun of the West.’ These two distinctions are significant in how one views philosophers. The first is the one that Westerners find acceptable. But an Easterner may consider it a concrete tragic reality.

It is tragic, because western societies give importance to those philosophers who are born within their own structure. They consider each of their own philosophers as an indispensable ring in the chain of internally consistent thoughts, which no doubt is the truth. This is one of the important factors in the development of ideas. In contrast, what the Eastern societies do is to replicate what the West does in order to establish their own authenticity. Whatever the reason or reasons for this behavior may be, it is a bad replica.

Moreover, it reflects a concrete authenticity. In spite of the fact that the Turkish intellectuals came to know of Ibn Khaldun in the middle of the eighteenth century when Shaykh-al İslam Mehmet Saib Efendi translated the Mukaddime (Prolegomena), they really came to know him only in the recent past through western sources and were surprised to find such a prominent philosopher.

İbni Khaldun is one of the philosophers who founded history of philosophy and sociology based on the dynamics of the society in which he lived. And it is important to stress that he developed his notions of secularism, evolution, etc., based on the conditions of this society. Nevertheless, he did not receive the attention he deserved.

Considering these two points of view and being fully aware of them, we chose to produce the present volume on Ibn Khaldun and are presenting it to the Turkish readers. In fact, we made this decision for the Center for Alternative policies in all consciousness, for we believe in the important values and opinions of the society in which we live and we also believe in the necessity to embrace the future in all truth rather than engage in copying. For that reason we expect that the work we present will be useful for all who share our belief.

The Center for Alternative Policies is grateful to the three distinguished professsors, Suphan Andıç, Fuat Andıç and Mustafa Koçak, renowned authorities in public finance and public law, respectively, for undertaking this work that brings together the original writings of İbn-i Khaldun, a very important social scientist and philosopher. We believe the book will be of great use for the Turkish readers and will open new horizons in this field.

Dr. Mahmut Koçak

Chairman

Center for Alternative Policies