The Role of Power in Emerging and Building the State from the Perspective of Ibn Khaldun and Machiavelli

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the role of power in the emergence and building of the state from the perspective of Ibn Khaldun and Machiavelli, where Ibn Khaldun formulated his innovative theory of Asabiyyah, as it is the essence of power. On the other hand, Machiavelli formulated his philosophy of power through national armies that grant self- power to the prince, and dispense with hired armies. Therefore, the study seeks to answer the following question: What role does power play in the emergence and building of the state from the perspective of Ibn Khaldun and Machiavelli? The study has used two methods: the comparative and the text analysis methods. The comparative method shows the extent of compatibility or difference between the visions of Ibn Khaldun and Machiavelli about the role that power plays in the emergence and building of the state. The text analysis method is used to analyze the intellectual texts of both thinkers through Ibn Khaldun’s Introduction book, and Machiavelli’s Prince book. The visions of both Ibn Khaldun and Machiavelli agreed on the role of power in the emergence and building of the state, as power plays a major role in the emergence of the state and determining its external scope.The study concluded that there are many similarities and differences between the philosophies of Ibn Khaldun and Machiavelli, so it recommended conducting further future studies to fill the knowledge gap in topics that previous studies did not address