Sociology’s Forgotten Origins: Khaldun, Ferguson, and Spencer

Sociology’s Forgotten Origins: Khaldun, Ferguson, and Spencer

June 11, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

The episode explores the complex origins of sociology and its connections to libertarian thought through historical figures.

Sociology is often treated by libertarians as a hostile discipline: collectivist, ideological, and drawn toward social control. But its origins tell a more complicated story. From Ibn Khaldun to Adam Ferguson and Herbert Spencer, this older tradition reveals a sociology of spontaneous order, civil society, and limits on political power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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