http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ik/Muqaddimah/PreliminaryRemarks.

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THEMUQADDIMAH
AbdArRahmanbinMuhammedibnKhaldun
TranslatedbyFranzRosenthal
PreliminaryRemarks

Ontheotherhand,toestablishthetruthandsoundnessofinformationaboutfactualhappenings,
arequirementtoconsideristheconformity(orlackofconformityofthereportedinformationwith
generalconditions).Therefore,itisnecessarytoinvestigatewhetheritispossiblethatthe(reported
facts)couldhavehappened.Thisismoreimportantthan,andhaspriorityover,personalitycriticism.
Forthecorrectnotionaboutsomethingthatoughttobe14canbederivedonlyfrom(personality
criticism),whilethecorrectnotionaboutsomethingthatwascanbederivedfrom(personality
criticism)andexternal(evidence)by(checking)theconformity(ofthehistoricalreportwithgeneral
conditions).
If15thisisso,thenormativemethodfordistinguishingrightfromwronginhistorical
informationonthegroundsof(inherent)possibilityorabsurdity,istoinvestigatehumansocial
organization,whichisidenticalwithcivilization.Wemustdistinguishtheconditionsthatattach
themselvestotheessenceofcivilizationasrequiredbyitsverynature;thethingsthatareaccidental(to
civilization)andcannotbecountedon;andthethingsthatcannotpossiblyattachthemselvestoit.Ifwe
dothat,weshallhaveanormativemethodfordistinguishingrightfromwrongandtruthfrom
falsehoodinhistoricalinformationbymeansofalogicaldemonstrationthatadmitsofnodoubts.Then
wheneverwehearaboutcertainconditionsoccurringincivilization,weshallknowwhattoacceptand
whattodeclarespurious.Weshallhaveasoundyardstickwiththehelpofwhichhistoriansmayfind
thepathoftruthandcorrectnesswheretheirreportsareconcerned.
Such16isthepurposeofthisfirstbookofourwork.(Thesubject)isinawayanindependent
science.(Thisscience)hasitsownpeculiarobjectthatis,humancivilizationandsocialorganization.It
alsohasitsownpeculiarproblems,thatis,explainingtheconditionsthatattachthemselvestothe
essenceofcivilization,oneaftertheother.Thus,thesituationisthesamewiththisscienceasitiswith
anyotherscience,whetheritbeaconventional17oranintellectualone.
Itshouldbeknownthatthediscussionofthistopicissomethingnew,extraordinary,andhighly
useful.Penetratingresearchhasshownthewaytoit.Itdoesnotbelongtorhetoric,oneofthelogical
disciplines(representedinAristotle'sOrganon),thesubjectofwhichisconvincingwordsbymeansof
whichthemassisinclinedtoacceptaparticularopinionornottoacceptit.18Itisalsonotpolitics,
becausepoliticsisconcernedwiththeadministrationofhomeorcityinaccordancewithethicaland
philosophicalrequirements,forthepurposeofdirectingthemasstowardabehaviorthatwillresultin
thepreservationandpermanenceofthe(human)species.
Thesubjecthereisdifferentfromthatofthesetwodisciplineswhich,however,areoftensimilar
toit.Inaway,itisanentirelyoriginalscience.Infact,Ihavenotcomeacrossadiscussionalongthese
linesbyanyone.Idonotknowifthisisbecausepeoplehavebeenunawareofit,butthereisnoreason
tosuspectthem(ofhavingbeenunawareofit).Perhapstheyhavewrittenexhaustivelyonthistopic,

andtheirworkdidnotreachus.19Therearemanysciences.Therehavebeennumeroussagesamong
thenationsofmankind.Theknowledgethathasnotcomedowntousislargerthantheknowledgethat
has.WherearethesciencesofthePersiansthat'Umarorderedwipedoutatthetimeoftheconquest!20
WherearethesciencesoftheChaldaeans,theSyrians,andtheBabylonians,andthescholarlyproducts
andresultsthatweretheirs!WherearethesciencesoftheCopts,theirpredecessors!Thesciencesof
onlyonenation,theGreek,havecomedowntous,becausetheyweretranslatedthroughalMa'mun's
efforts.(Hiseffortsinthisdirection)weresuccessful,becausehehadmanytranslatorsathisdisposal
andspentmuchmoneyinthisconnection.Ofthesciencesofothers,nothinghascometoourattention.