So, too, can it test the comprehension of International Relations undergraduates grappling with questions of political theory. The good news: I am not teaching History, but International Relations Theory. Groups in the desert are argued by Ibn Khaldun to be “closer to being good than sedentary people”, as a well as being brave (Ibn Khaldun 1958, 94), having strong leadership (1958, 138), and being more willing to accept religious imperatives (1958, 98). While Robert Irwin, author of Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography, claims that Herbert spoke in a radio interview about reading Ibn Khaldun (Irwin 2018, 200), this claim is not evidenced. Ibn Khaldun.

Source: The Guardian December 21, 2025 14:53 UTC