Ibn Khaldun · Civilisations

Desert and City

Ibn Khaldun’s great dialectic - the eternal tension between the hardy, cohesive peoples of the desert and the luxurious, civilised, but soft life of the city.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that Ibn Khaldun contrasted hardy desert life with luxurious city life, and saw a cycle whereby desert peoples conquer cities and then grow soft. Explain this dialectic in your own words.

Leads to Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

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