Khaldun’s claim is persuasive: the arguments he provides make an impression that nomadic lifestyle and consequent constraints prevent a person from partaking in immorality. The philosopher associates opulence with evil and simplicity with goodness, which corroborates his claim. This contrast is not unique to Khaldun since sumptuousness and its expressions are not encouraged by world religions. As nomadic people, Bedouins live unpretentiously, and their way of being is devoid of temptations abundant within city walls. Sedentary life facilitates indulgence in worldly desires while nomadic life, in contrast, places a greater weight on mere survival. Khaldun’s arguments seem to primarily stem from the assumption that sedentary people are “accustomed to luxury and success in worldly occupations and indulgence in worldly desires” (Khaldun 167). Therefore, Khaldun’s claim which is based on his observations is sound.
Reference
Khaldun, Ibn. The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History. Abridged and edited by Nessim Joseph Dawood, translated and introduced by Franz Rosenthal, Princeton University Press, 2005.