1001Philosophers

Ibn Khaldun Quotes on Politics

Ibn Khaldun was a North African Arab historian and philosopher, born in Tunis to a family of Andalusian scholars. This page collects quotes attributed to Ibn Khaldun on the topic of politics, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Ibn Khaldun:

    “The vanquished always want to imitate the victor in his distinctive marks, his dress, his occupation, and all his other conditions and customs.”

  • Attributed to Ibn Khaldun:

    “Civilization both begins and ends with desert living.”

  • Attributed to Ibn Khaldun:

    “When civilization reaches the limit of luxury and ease, it begins to decay.”

  • Attributed to Ibn Khaldun:

    “Differences of conditions among people are the result of the different ways in which they make their living.”

  • Attributed to Ibn Khaldun:

    “History is a science, and its subject is the human social organization.”

  • Attributed to Ibn Khaldun:

    “A scholar's relationship to politics and politicians is like that of a lamb to a wolf.”