The Reconstruction of Ibn Khaldun’s Grand Design of History-making: The Underlying Metaphysical Cause

Abstract

In his attempt to construct the scientific causal narration of history, Ibn Khaldun became a reductionist by concluding that the once ambiguous phenomena of how “history becomes” is the result of two interconnected causes: ijtima’ and ‘asabiyyah. Firstly, this article tries to expose the Grand Design of History-making by connecting Ibn Khaldun’s different dimensions as part of one comprehensive theory. However, there is a logical problem in Ibn Khaldun’s proposal of causal narration of interdependency between causes, which is impossible to solve scientifically and philosophically. Hence, this article attempts to reconstruct the Grand Design of history by eliminating that logical problem. It has been reduced to a proposed final cause that cannot be reduced further. This final cause is an active and dynamic concept of Time, which has been proposed and defended scientifically and philosophically by engaging in different branches of natural, philosophical and cognitive sciences, hence validating the claim and its complete cycle. It might be a new approach to justify History-making with a scientific concept of Time, though it does not rule out the possibility of such arguments. Therefore, it is intended to open a new possibility to view the formation of history and civilisation by the omnipresent phenomenon of time and its role, which is inherently metaphysical and goes against the modern concept of History-making.