Ibn Khaldun
Father of sociology and historiography
Most quoted
"History is the record of human society, or world civilization; of the changes that take place in the nature of that society, such as savagery, sociability, and group solidarity; of the revolutions and uprisings by one set of people against another with the resulting kingdoms and states, with their various ranks and the different occupations and sciences to which they devote themselves; and, finally, of all the changes that occur in all these phenomena, as dictated by the nature of events."
— from Muqaddimah, 1377
"History is, in reality, no more than the record of human society, or world civilization; of the changes that take place in the nature of that society, such as savagery, sociability, and group solidarity; of the revolutions and uprisings by one set of people against another with the resulting kingdoms and states, with their various ranks and the activities that people undertake in their different occupations and sciences, and, in general, of all the transformations that society undergoes."
— from Muqaddimah
"History is the record of human society, or world civilization; of the changes that take place in the nature of that society, such as savagery, sociability, and group solidarity; of the revolutions and uprisings by one set of people against another with the resulting kingdoms and states, with their various ranks and the activities that human beings undertake in their different occupations and sciences, and, in general, of all the transformations that society undergoes."
— from Muqaddimah
All quotes by Ibn Khaldun (397)
The more a society progresses, the more complex its problems become.
The ruler should be just and merciful.
The decline of a state begins with the decline of its 'asabiyyah'.
The sciences are a means to an end, not an end in themselves.
The purpose of life is to seek knowledge and to do good deeds.
The human being is a creature of habit.
The strength of a nation lies in its unity.
The more a society indulges in luxury, the weaker it becomes.
The ruler should be a man of wisdom and experience.
The sciences are a gift from God to humanity.
The human being is a political animal.
The past is a lesson for the future.
The more a society is divided, the weaker it becomes.
The ruler should be a servant of the people.
The sciences are a means of understanding the world.
The human being is a rational animal.
The present is the key to the past.
The more a society is just, the stronger it becomes.
The ruler should be a protector of the weak.
The sciences are a source of progress and development.