Knowing Justice in the Maghreb: Ibn Ridwan, Ibn Khaldun, and the Circle of Justice

This paper discusses the circle of justice, focusing on the writings of two Maghrebi scholars: Ibn Ridwan (d. 783/1381) and Ibn Khaldun (d. 808/1406). While considering the possible sources of the science of ‘umrān, regarded as a precursor to sociology, Ibn Khaldun draws attention to the models of the circle of justice. He cites three different sources of the circle of justice: Bahram ibn Bahram, Anosharwan, and Aristotle. Beginning and ending with justice, this circle constructs the relationship between the state, military, economy, law, and people with a holistic approach. Unlike the modern pyramidal and fragmented political structures, this political sociological model is shaped as a circle where each element is interdependent in a holistic manner. Both Ibn Khaldun and his older contemporary from Rabat emphasize the importance of maintaining balance, recognizing that excessive growth in one element would harm the others. A disturbance of this balance in modern times results in militaristic regimes, where the military dominates; capitalist regimes, where capital takes precedence; and oppressive authoritarian regimes, where politics expands excessively. In this respect, the circle of justice approach holds the potential to offer an alternative field of discussion in the face of unjust and oppressive practices unfolding in the modern world.