Social Theories Part 2:
- Khaldun’s concept of asabiyya (solidarity, group feeling, or group
consciousness) was used to explain tribalism
- Social cohesion arises spontaneously in tribes and other small
kinship groups
- He believed that too much bureaucracy, such as taxes and
legislations, would lead to a decline in society
- Would constrain the development of more specialized labor such as
increase in scholars and development of different services
- Emphasized human beings’ faculty to think (fikr) as what
determines human behavior and patterns (inspiration to form
social structure)
★ Theory of State Formation: Social groups with strong asabiya could
dominate and assert rule over those with weak asabiya
- Bureaucrats could not understand the world of commerce and
didn’t possess the same motivation as a businessman
- Argued that the level of achievement of a society can be determined
by analyzing mastery of crafts, habits, and skills
- Also be determined by language of a society and advancements in
literary works
- Believed in the importance of mastery of language
- Knowledge at its finest is seen through an increase of scholars and
quality of knowledge
- Highest level of literary productions would be the manifestations of
prose, poems, and artistic enrichment of society
Impact on Sociology:
- Major impact on historical and political sociology
- Khaldun’s concept of asabiyya (solidarity, group feeling, or group
consciousness) was used to explain tribalism
- Social cohesion arises spontaneously in tribes and other small
kinship groups
- He believed that too much bureaucracy, such as taxes and
legislations, would lead to a decline in society
- Would constrain the development of more specialized labor such as
increase in scholars and development of different services
- Emphasized human beings’ faculty to think (fikr) as what
determines human behavior and patterns (inspiration to form
social structure)
★ Theory of State Formation: Social groups with strong asabiya could
dominate and assert rule over those with weak asabiya
- Bureaucrats could not understand the world of commerce and
didn’t possess the same motivation as a businessman
- Argued that the level of achievement of a society can be determined
by analyzing mastery of crafts, habits, and skills
- Also be determined by language of a society and advancements in
literary works
- Believed in the importance of mastery of language
- Knowledge at its finest is seen through an increase of scholars and
quality of knowledge
- Highest level of literary productions would be the manifestations of
prose, poems, and artistic enrichment of society
Impact on Sociology:
- Major impact on historical and political sociology
