| Although much less known to Western political economists, than, for example, to sociologists or historians, Ibn Khaldun is the true founding father of political economy. Centuries before his successors, the "classical political economists," Ibn Khaldun dealt systematically and masterfully with the relationship between economics and politics. He, furthermore, was able to define the subject matter of his "new" science by delineating the fundamental political and economic processes.;This dissertation is an attempt toward demonstrating the originality and significance of Ibn Khaldun's contribution to political economy. It provides a rendition of Ibn Khaldun's views on a wide range of topics: ;The study demonstrates the following major points: (1) that Ibn Khaldun's contribution to political economy is original and so great as to unquestionably qualify him for the title "father of political economy"; (2) that Ibn Khldun's work has commanded great respect from writers in sociology, history, and philosophy, and that it exercised noticeable influence on Arab and Muslim scholarship; and, (3) that Ibn Khaldun's political economy is relevant and timely.;Researchers in international relations, political economy, and other social science fields are urged to seriously explore the Muqaddimah, for it contains a wealth of information and provides keen insights on numerous areas of knowledge.;At a time when we are witnessing a tremendous surge of interest in political economy in the field of international relations, it is rather ironic that Ibn Khaldun's work is still almost completely unexplored. |
