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Abu'l Waleed
Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Rushd, born in 1126 in Cordoba, then part of
Muslim Spain, was one of the greatest thinkers and scientists of the 12th
century. Known by the Latin name Averroes in the West, Ibn Rushd influenced
scholarship in both the Islamic world and Europe for centuries, and is best
known in the West for his commentaries on Aristotle's philosophy.
Like many famous
scholars before him, Ibn Rushd enjoyed the favour of the royal courts, and spent
his time among the ruling class of Marrakesh, Morocco, as well as in the Spanish
cities of Seville and Cordoba. Although his views on religion and philosophy
occasionally angered his patrons, Ibn Rushd was generally able to continue his
study of such a field because of his friendship with the Muslim rulers. He was
greatly influenced by Greek philosophy, and he wrote several commentaries on
Aristotle's works. He used Greek arguments for rationalism to question several
tenets of Islamic theology, earning the criticism of many Muslim religious
scholars, such as Al-Ghazali. Despite his vehement defence of philosophy,
however, Ibn Rushd was a devoted Muslim who also tried to integrate Plato's
political views with the modern Islamic state, to bring Greek thought and
Islamic traditions into harmony.
While the Islamic
world was split in its support for Ibn Rushd's philosophical work (and with
philosophy in general enjoying less support since Al-Ghazali's attack on it), he
became very popular in Europe. His commentaries on the work of Aristotle and
Plato were translated into Latin, English, German, and Hebrew, and were
thereafter always included in any editions of the Greek philosophers' works. The
belief that he was more popular in the West than in the Islamic world is also
supported by the fact that few of his writings survive in their original Arabic,
and many of the ones that do are in Hebrew script. The rest have been preserved
only in their Latin or other European vernacular translations.
In addition to his
work in philosophy, Ibn Rushd was also an accomplished physician and astronomer.
His famous medical book, Kitab al-Kulyat fi al-Tibb (known as the
"Colliget" in Latin) discussed various diagnoses and cures for diseases, as well
as their prevention. He was the personal physician to several Almoravid caliphs
in Spain and the Maghrib. In astronomy, he wrote tracts on the movement of
spheres. Still, Ibn Rushd is best remembered for his philosophy, particularly in
Europe, where he influenced scholarship until the 16th century. Many of his
books were used in European universities until the 19th century.
 Ibn Rushd Courtesy of Personalities Nobel |
Abu'l Waleed
Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Rushd, born in 1126 in Cordoba, then part of
Muslim Spain, was one of the greatest thinkers and scientists of the 12th
century. Known by the Latin name Averroes in the West, Ibn Rushd influenced
scholarship in both the Islamic world and Europe for centuries, and is best
known in the West for his commentaries on Aristotle's philosophy.
Like many famous
scholars before him, Ibn Rushd enjoyed the favour of the royal courts, and spent
his time among the ruling class of Marrakesh, Morocco, as well as in the Spanish
cities of Seville and Cordoba. Although his views on religion and philosophy
occasionally angered his patrons, Ibn Rushd was generally able to continue his
study of such a field because of his friendship with the Muslim rulers. He was
greatly influenced by Greek philosophy, and he wrote several commentaries on
Aristotle's works. He used Greek arguments for rationalism to question several
tenets of Islamic theology, earning the criticism of many Muslim religious
scholars, such as Al-Ghazali. Despite his vehement defence of philosophy,
however, Ibn Rushd was a devoted Muslim who also tried to integrate Plato's
political views with the modern Islamic state, to bring Greek thought and
Islamic traditions into harmony.
While the Islamic
world was split in its support for Ibn Rushd's philosophical work (and with
philosophy in general enjoying less support since Al-Ghazali's attack on it), he
became very popular in Europe. His commentaries on the work of Aristotle and
Plato were translated into Latin, English, German, and Hebrew, and were
thereafter always included in any editions of the Greek philosophers' works. The
belief that he was more popular in the West than in the Islamic world is also
supported by the fact that few of his writings survive in their original Arabic,
and many of the ones that do are in Hebrew script. The rest have been preserved
only in their Latin or other European vernacular translations.
In addition to his
work in philosophy, Ibn Rushd was also an accomplished physician and astronomer.
His famous medical book, Kitab al-Kulyat fi al-Tibb (known as the
"Colliget" in Latin) discussed various diagnoses and cures for diseases, as well
as their prevention. He was the personal physician to several Almoravid caliphs
in Spain and the Maghrib. In astronomy, he wrote tracts on the movement of
spheres. Still, Ibn Rushd is best remembered for his philosophy, particularly in
Europe, where he influenced scholarship until the 16th century. Many of his
books were used in European universities until the 19th century.
