Transcript
For many years, social scientists have been studying the behavior of firms and individual households in market economic. Microeconomic; however, is a branch of economic that examines how the demand and supply for goods and services can be effected by the market decisions. Also, how the prices in return can affect the quantity demanded and supplied for goods and services. Microeconomics is the subject of interest for many thinkers and economists. Ibn khaldun is one of the greatest Arabic Historian Social Scientists that had contributed to the microeconomics. Since modern economics are based on Ibn khaldun’s theories that makes Ibn khaldun the most interesting economist in the Arabic and world history. Thus, contemporary economists and thinkers have approved Ibn Khaldun studies and viewed his thoughts as a source of references for analysis the issues of economic today. This report attempted to analyze and look into Ibn Khaldun’s life, education, theories, books and focuses on his thoughts and contributions to the market economy. This report is divided into three sections. First section will discuss about Ibn Khaldun’s life and history. The second will be looking into his education, while the third part will describe his thoughts and theories on supply and demand and address the issues of microeconomics. Abd al-Rahman Ibn Muhammad Ibn Khaldun al-Hadrami is one of the most famous Arabic Scholar and Historian Economists known as the father of the modern social science and cultural history of economy. Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunis in twenty seventh of May 1332 from a high class and status Andalusia family and died in Cairo in March 1406. His family; however, was from a Yemenite tribe that is originating in Hadramawt, in southeastern of Yemen known for its tendency of pro-Ummayad. In the late of 14th century, Ibn Khaldun’s family was became recognized in Seville the capital city of Spain, for its leadership in the revolutionary movement. Later, In the middle of the thirteenth/seventh century, Ibn Khaldun family had emigrated from Seville to North African and settled in Tunis holding in the kingdom after the fall of Seville. Picture 1: The Status on the greatest Arabic Historian Philosophy and Economist Ibn Khaldun In Tunis. Ibn Khaldun was an ambitious man who rose in an upper class of scholars and politicians family in Tunis, thus he received a traditional education in one of the best schools in Maghreb. He studied Arabic literature, mathematics and philosophy under greatest scholar’s teachers in North Africa. In 1349, at the age of 17, his family died of the plague. Hence, at this point of his life; Ibn Khaldun strove and followed his family political careers. At the age of 20 years, he started his political career and worked with position of K?tib al-’Al?mah as calligraphy writer. Also, Ibn Khaldun had taught in Cairo at the Al-Azhar University. Ibn Khaldun had received a lesser degree in political life and certificates in philology, poetry and rhetoric. Numerous of Ibn Khaldun studies and works were about political life, thus he had successfully linked between political and economics after years of analyzing and examining its history. Ibn Khaldun had produced many intellectual books that dealt with his studies and ideas of the history of economic and political events. At age of 19, Ibn Khaldun wrote his first book the Lub?bu l-Muhassal, in which he discussed about the life of the philosopher Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. Also, Universal History “Kitab al- 'Ibar” is another important works of Ibn Khaldun in which it deals with the history of Arabs as he outlined the causes for the rise and fall of nations. Thus, apart from the Kitab al- 'Ibar book that became significant independent work ,In 1377 Ibn Khaldun addressed the issue of economics growth, labor, and supply and demand analysis in his book The Introduction to History “Muqaddimah” by examine the growth and failure of Ottoman Empire. Till today, modern economists and thinker view the Muqaddimah book as a source of reference and fundamental concept of economics problems. On his Muqaddimah book; however, Ibn Khaldun discussed about the problem in market economic. He was able to identify and address two sources of supply and demand. He stated that “When population increases, the available labor again increases. In turn, luxury again increases in correspondence with the increasing profit, and the customs and needs of luxury increase.” He identified two variables that affect the supply side; cost of production and product scarcity. Hence, he was significantly link indicated; rising in the price of good and service are initiated by increasing in the cost of production not simply because of the scarcity of food. He supported his thoughts and analysis by depict the shift in the supply curve. The supply curve will shift upward as the cost of production increases and the price goes up and vice versa. Figure 1: The Shift in Supply Curve On the demand side yet, he mentioned that there are two factors that affect the demand of goods; people’s desire on goods and services and government disbursement. Ibn Khaldun had intensely looked at the analysis of supply and demand and cost of production. Figure 2: The Shift in Supply and Demand Curve Another fundamental economics concept that Ibn Khaldun deliberated in his Muqaddimah book is government taxation. Ibn Khaldun was the first economist that analyzes the law of economics and dealt with the economic problems in the world such as taxation, government services and production. In conclusion, Ibn Khaldun is one of the most important philosophy and economist in Arabic and World history. Ibn Khaldun spent his life studying Philology, Grammar, Rhetoric, Poetry and social scientist in one of the greatest schools in Tunis under intellectual’s teachers. References: Muhsin Mahdi (author) Ibn Khalduns’s, Philosophy of History, 1st ed., stations, NJ, USA,1964, Page 17,18,27,28,29,33, 37, 38, 171, 209, 210, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220. Irfan Syauqi Beik (author), Ibn Khaldun’s Contribution on Modern Economics Development, An Analysis based on Selected Economic Issues , 2013. http://www.uned.es/congreso-ibn-khaldun/pdf/06%20Irfan%20Beik.pdf Al-Hakawati, Ibn Khaldun’s History and Economics Development, Arab Cultural Trust, 2006. http://www.al-hakawati.net/english/Arabpers/ibn-khaldun.asp Al-Hakawati, Supply and Demand, Economic Principals and Problems, BYU IDAHO 2013. https://courses.byui.edu/econ_150/econ_150_old_site/lesson_03.htm
