The Pathologies of Authority in Ibn Khaldun’s Thought: An Analytical Study of the Trilogy of Political Decline within the Framework of Islamic Political Thought

Abstract

This study explores a critical dimension of Ibn Khaldun’s political thought: what may be termed the “pathologies of power”. It focuses on three behavioral patterns that Ibn Khaldun identified as key indicators of state decline and the disintegration of political and social cohesion: indulgence in luxury and extravagance, monopolization of glory and autocratic decision-making, and submission to foreign influence and the loss of sovereign will.

The study adopts an interpretive-analytical approach to Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah, examining how these pathologies emerge and evolve, especially in the later stages of the state’s life cycle. It argues that these phenomena are not isolated political mistakes but rather complex expressions of psychological, cultural, and structural transformations that accompany the aging of states and the erosion of collective solidarity (ʿaṣabiyya).

The research further investigates how these “diseases of power” manifest differently across historical and contemporary Arab regimes, and how external conditions—such as economic instability, geopolitical subjugation, and institutional decay—can either accelerate or delay the onset of these dysfunctions. It raises key questions about the visibility of these pathologies, their impact on leadership consciousness, and the potential mechanisms for prevention or containment.

Ultimately, the study aims to revitalize Ibn Khaldun’s theoretical model as a diagnostic tool for understanding modern political crises in the Arab world and to offer a deeper reading of the structural relationship between leadership behavior, authority legitimacy, and society.