Quotation
Last reviewed:
Historians go wrong through partisanship, by relying on transmitters, and by not knowing the nature of society; test a report against what is possible.
Ibn Khaldūn · Historiography / social theory · Medieval · 1377
What does it mean?
A source can be honest and still wrong. Ask if the event could happen at all.
Did Ibn Khaldūn really say this?
The library’s label is Summary. Restates his list of the causes of untruth in historical reports (Rosenthal tr., Introduction to Book One). Not a direct quotation.
Where it comes from
Muqaddimah, Introduction, summary
Approximate date: 1377.
How to use it
A viral claim that 'a million people' gathered in a small square fails his test before you check who said it.
A mindset reading
Plausibility is a first check, not the last.
Understand the philosophy
His examples include al-Masʿūdī's tale of Alexander diving to draw sea monsters, which he rejects because a diver in a box would run out of air.
- knowledge
- society
FAQ
What does it mean?
A source can be honest and still wrong. Ask if the event could happen at all.
Did Ibn Khaldūn really say this?
Summary. Restates his list of the causes of untruth in historical reports (Rosenthal tr., Introduction to Book One). Not a direct quotation.
Which work is it in?
Muqaddimah, Introduction, summary Approximate date: 1377.