Averroes

by Arnaldez, Roger; Streight, David

• ISBN13: 9780268020088
• ISBN10: 0268020086
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: Univ of Notre Dame Pr

Summary

1998 marked the 800th anniversary of the death of Averroes, the famous medieval philosopher, commentator on Aristotle, and great Islamic intellectual. Now Roger Arnaldez, one of the world's most distinguished Islamists, fascinates us with the story of Averroes and his remarkable role in the history of the Middle Ages.

His prodigious knowledge of astronomy, medicine, Aristotelian philosophy, Qur' anic studies, and the civil law of his time based on the Qur'an, made Averroes a favorite of the sultan's court. He was appointed Grand Qadi, the highest judicial position in the medieval Spanish city of Cordoba. Yet in the midst of his success Averroes faced a struggle that is not unknown to thinkers today: how to reconcile philosophical reason with faith, specifically his Muslim faith and the tenets of the Qur'an.

In 1195, following conflicts with orthodox Muslim clergy, who possessed political influence and power, Averroes fell into disfavor with the leaders of the Islamic state. His writings were burned and he was forced into exile. Eventually he regained his po

Table of Contents

Introduction Judge, Physician, and Philosopher	1	(16)
Jurist	16	(10)
Physician	26	(5)
Commentator on Aristotle	31	(48)
Philosopher and Theologian	79	(50)
Conclusion A Personal Muslim Thinker	119	(10)
Chronology	129	(2)
Glossary	131	(16)
Bibliography	147	(2)
Annotated Index of Proper Names	149	(8)
About the Author	157