A Modern Approach to al-Malakah al-Lisāniyyah in Ibn Khaldun

Abstract

and BookⅠof his historical book 'kitāb al-ʕibar'. The Muqaddimah can be regarded as one of the most perfect historical book in the 14 century considering that it attempted to discover a pattern in the changes that occur in man's political and social organization. Especially, rational in its approach, analytical in its method, it represents an almost complete departure from traditional historiography and conventional concepts beyond the mere chronicles of historical events and the explanation of history. In explaining historical data, Ibn Khaldūn adopted a scientific method totally new to his age, and used new terminologies to drive his ideas and thinking. The Muqaddimah follows a logical arrangement. It begins with man's physical environment and its influence upon him. This is followed by an analysis of primitive social organization, the character of early leadership, and the relationship of primitive human societies with each other, as well as their relationship to the higher, urban form of society. Then government of the state, the highest form of human social organization, is discussed in general and that of the Caliphate, the special Muslim case, in particular. Ibn Khaldūn tried to explain how the higher human social organization is formed from primitive human societies. It is followed with suggesting some terminologies such as 'tamaddun' (urbanization), 'ʕumrān'(civilization), and 'ʕaṣabiyyah' (solidarity, group consciousness). In this paper, it is not needed to explain each of them, but the focus should be centered on the term 'malakah' (aptitude). Ibn Khaldūn used this term to answer to theproblem of how all higher civilization is preserved. He considered 'malakah' as a factor to make a man master a craft or a science through continuous practice, thus making it 'habit'. Since the acquisition of habits is a matter of education and training, habits can be passed on to others willing and fit to learn them. The aim of this paper is to make a modern approach to the conception of al-malakah al-lisāniyyah (the linguistic aptitude) which takes the most important position in Ibn Khaldun's study of language. In an obvious sense, it is a re-interpretation of al-malakah al-lisāniyyah from a modern linguistic point of view. This approach leads us to recognizing the continuance of the method of linguistic study by comparing between Ibn Khaldun's views of language which were totally developed to his age and some modern linguists' theories, especially generative transformational theory. In order to accomplish the aim, this paper will, in the second chapter, deal with Ibn Khaldūn's definition of language and compare it with some modern linguists’ definition. In the third chapter, the definition of al-malakah al-lisāniyyah will be made with the prescription of its conditions and preconditions. Likewise, the comparison between al-malakah al-lisāniyyah and linguistic competence by Chomsky will be made to assure the theoretical relations between them through the language acquisition. This will give us a clear answer to the question we might ask “Why compare al-malakah al-lisāniyyah with Chomsky's work rather than alternative models such as those developed by Brame, Bresnan, Gazdar and others.” In the last chapter, this paper will present the method of Ibn Khaldūn's linguistic study - the descriptive and explanatory method,stressing the necessity of recognizing that his linguistic method has been influenced by the historical method.