History and Cyclical Equivalence: A Comparative Approach Between Ibn Khaldun and Vico

Abstract

There is a clear overlap between the thought of Ibn Khaldun and that of Vico, despite the differences in their historical and cultural contexts. Both thinkers considered history a science governed by cyclical laws. They believed that nations follow similar stages of emergence, flourishing, and decline. Ibn Khaldun emphasized tribal solidarity and the political cycle of civilizations, while Vico proposed a cultural and historical model of repeated societal development. This similarity reveals an early awareness in both thinkers of the cyclical nature of history and the idea that civilizations follow patterns that can be studied and understood scientifically.