Social Theories Through Time: A Comparative Analysis of Bourdieu and Ibn Khaldun

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
younes akbari 1
Touraj Sohrabi 2
1 Municipal employee
2 school teacher، Lecturer at Farhangian University
Abstract
This research presents a comparative analysis of the ideas of the pre-modern thinker Ibn Khaldun and the modern sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Focusing on the concepts of habitus, disposition, aesthetic taste, and luxury needs, as well as their respective writing styles and logic of argumentation, the study aims to determine the extent of their epistemological and methodological similarities and differences.
The research employs a documentary and analytical method, drawing upon authoritative primary and secondary sources in Persian, Arabic, and English. This approach facilitates a contextual analysis of their core concepts within their distinct historical and social milieus, avoiding superficial interpretations.
The findings reveal significant parallels. Methodologically, both thinkers utilize a recursive logic and complex sentence structures to articulate social phenomena. Conceptually, Bourdieu’s ‘habitus’ and Ibn Khaldun’s ‘disposition’ exhibit marked similarity in describing how social and natural conditions influence human behavior. Furthermore, both scholars concur that luxury needs and aesthetic tastes manifest only after fundamental material needs are satisfied.
Despite the epistemological divergence between Bourdieu's modern rationality and Ibn Khaldun's pre-modern perspective, significant common ground can be found in their analysis of social structures and behaviors. This overlap provides the possibility of utilizing complementary approaches for a deeper understanding of social transformations.

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The Journal of Research in Humanities
Volume 32, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 1-23