Ibn Khaldun’s Concepts in the Mirror of Arab Political and Economic Identity

Abstract

The modern Arab countries endure problems like the instability of their political systems, the crisis of their state institutions, and the weakness and asymmetry of their integration, globalization, and localization processes. To gain perspective on these problems, this article analyses the history and dynamics of the spiritual, cultural, economic, and political spheres of Arab life. The main research methods were the historical-logical and the comparative, which allowed the authors to trace the development of the political, economic, and philosophical-religious thought of the Arab countries and determine the origins of these concepts. As a research hypothesis it is stated that the key subjective factor influencing the political decision-making markets are the interests of the elite and political leaders in the context of resolving conflicts in the tradition of Muslim diplomacy. The article examines the concepts of the medieval scientist and diplomat Al Khaldun to establish the origins and logic of the modern international economic and political life of the countries of the Arab League. The authors conclude by a comparative analysis that Egyptian leaders have supreme power in making foreign policy decisions due to a tradition of strong centralized power, while the personal traits and characteristics of the country’s leaders often determine its foreign policy.