Gabriel Martinez-Gros – författare

Ibn Khaldūn is one of the outstanding thinkers about the nature of society and politics in the pre-modern Arab world. This volume presents the political writings of the fourteenth-century philosopher, stressing their enduring relevance. Arnold Toynbee used to say that Ibn Khaldūn's work was the most impressive endeavour to build a theory out of history ever undertaken before the nineteenth century. However, translators and historians discovered Ibn Khaldūn at the time when new revolutionary economic and political conditions were dismissive of his philosophy. In this edition, Gabriel Martinez-Gros brings Ibn Khaldūn's political thought to the forefront, exploring his theories in the context of his era, but also emphasizing their profound resonances with modern society. Far from the caricature of Ibn Khaldūn as a 'tribal philosopher', Martinez-Gros shows that Ibn Khaldūn's thought is about creating wealth in an agrarian society, concerned with economic concepts, demography, war and violence.

Ibn Khaldūn is one of the outstanding thinkers about the nature of society and politics in the pre-modern Arab world. This volume presents the political writings of the fourteenth-century philosopher, stressing their enduring relevance. Arnold Toynbee used to say that Ibn Khaldūn's work was the most impressive endeavour to build a theory out of history ever undertaken before the nineteenth century. However, translators and historians discovered Ibn Khaldūn at the time when new revolutionary economic and political conditions were dismissive of his philosophy. In this edition, Gabriel Martinez-Gros brings Ibn Khaldūn's political thought to the forefront, exploring his theories in the context of his era, but also emphasizing their profound resonances with modern society. Far from the caricature of Ibn Khaldūn as a 'tribal philosopher', Martinez-Gros shows that Ibn Khaldūn's thought is about creating wealth in an agrarian society, concerned with economic concepts, demography, war and violence.

The Middle East has always been a central site for trade and conquests. Its location has brought enormous wealth, cultural exchange and intellectual vitality – but also conflicts, instability and enduring political tensions. Understanding the region’s past is crucial to understanding the present day.In the anthology Empires of Faith internationally renowned scholars and writers explore the long history of the Middle East – from Mesopotamia, the Persian Empire and Alexander the Great to the emergence of Christianity and Islam, the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and the dramatic transformation of the region in the 20th century. How have religion, civilisation and imperial ambitions shaped the Middle East? What is the legacy of the great empires and how did they influence laws, culture, governance and the everyday lives of their subjects? And to what extent are the repercussions of this history still visible in today’s political and religious landscape?