Re-reading Ibn-Khaldun in the 21st Century: Traveling Theory and the Question of Authority, Legitimacy, and State Violence in the Modern Arab World

To illuminate the complicated relationship between authorities and society in contemporary Arab world, this paper draws on Ibn Khaldun's propositions. By applying Edward Said's notion of traveling theory, it traces, interrogates, evaluates ways which multiple readings theory have been (re)formulated, transplanted, circulated by other authors, how these theories traveled from an earlier point to another time place where they come into new prominence. Furthermore, examines three thinkers (Abid Al-Jabri, Abdullah Laroui, Nazih Ayubi) addressed interpreted heritage Khaldun his state formation authority constitutive Islamic world (particularly Sunni world). The concludes that, comparison with “traveling theory” intentions, modern Arabic were not as much was attempting uproot, distort, suffocate, even bury original well obliterate culturally appropriate features portray opposite progress modernization, favor enhancing dominance Western epistemology.