Abu' l-Walid Muhammad ibn Rushd de Cordoue (born in 1126 - supposed year of its birth - with Cordoue in Andalusia, current Spain - died the December 10th 1198, with Marrakech, current Morocco), Latinized in Averroès , of its complete name Abū l-Walīd Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ahmad ibn rear Rušd RTL أبوالوليدمحمدبناحمدبنمحمدبناحمدبناحمدبنرشد, is at the same time a philosopher, a Théologie N ic Islam, a lawyer, a mathematician and a Arab doctor (certain authors say it Berber) of the 12th century. It was described like the founding father of the thought Laïque in Western Europe

Its open-minded and its modernity displease with the Moslem authorities of the time which exile it like Hérétique and order that its books are flarings. It remained deeply ignored until the 13th century which begins two years after its death, where its importance was however minimized. It is only currently that the historians of philosophy recognize his importance. He commented on in entirety works of Aristote: also it was named the Commentator .

In its philosophy, Averroès combined with the doctrines of Aristote those of the École of Alexandria on the emanation, and taught that there exists a universal Intelligence in which all the men take part, which this intelligence is immortal, but that the particular hearts are perishable.

Biography

Born in Cordoue, it is resulting from an big family of Cadi S malékites.

It is formed by particular Masters. Initial training starts with the study, by heart, of the Coran, to which are added the Grammaire, the Poésie, of the rudiments of Calcul and the training of the writing. Averroès studies with his/her father, the Hadith, the Tradition relating to the acts, words and attitudes of the Prophet and the Fiqh, right to the Moslem direction, according to which the monk and the legal one do not dissociate.

Sciences and philosophy are studied only after one good religious formation. Averroès widens the mental activity of its family circle while being interested in profane sciences: Physical, Astronomy, Medicine. Á the exit of its formation, it is a man of religion set on knowledge ancient and curious to know nature.

Averroès cultivated the Médecine, which he had studied under Avenzoar, and was doctor of the court of Morocco; but it stuck rather to the theory that with the practice.

The emir Abu Yaqub Yusuf having requested to him, in 1166, to present pedagogically the work of Aristote, Averroès seeks to find authentic work. He uses several translations. By applying the principles of the logical thought whose non-contradiction, and by using its total knowledge of work, it finds mistranslations, gaps and additions. He discovers internal criticism thus. He wrote three types of comments: the Large ones, Means and Summaries. He seems the most faithful aristotelician of the medieval commentators.

About 1188-1189, one assists with rebelled in the the central Maghreb and an holy war against the Christians. The sultan Abu Yusuf Yaqub Al-Mansur then makes prohibit philosophy, the studies and the books, as in the field of manners, it prohibits the sale of the Vin and the trade of singer and musician.

From 1195, Averroès, already suspect like philosopher, is victim of an opinion campaign which aims at sapping its prestige of cadi. Al-Mansûr then sacrifices its intellectuals to the pressure of the Ouléma S. Averroès is exiled in 1197 with Lucena, Andalusian small town especially populated Juif S, declining since the Almohades prohibited any religion other than Islam. After a short exile of one year and half, he is recalled to Morocco where he receives the forgiveness of the sultan, but is not restored in its functions. He dies in Marrakech the 10 or December 11th, 1198 without to have re-examined Andalusia. The death of Al-Mansûr little time after mark the beginning of the decline of the empire almohade.

Suspecté of Heresy, it will not have a ground posterity of Islam. The work of Averroès will be saved by the Jewish translators. It will pass through the Jews of Catalogne and Occitanie in the Latin Scholastique.

Range of the work of Averroès

Via ibn Rushd, founder of the Rationalism , it is all the movement of the transfer of the studies, long and slow appropriation of philosophy gréco-Arabic by Europe which achieved itself - a history multiséculaire, that of the transmission and renewal of philosophy and science of the Greek Masters, started at the 9th century in the Baghdad of the caliphs Abbasside S, continued at the 12th century in the Cordoue of Almohades, then continued in the countries of Christendom, and out of the universities of XIIIe, XIVe and XVe centuries, without denying however the role of Byzance in the transmission of the Greek heritage.

George Sarton, the father of the History of sciences, written:

" Averroès owes its size with the enormous stir which it caused in the spirit of the men during centuries. The history of the Averroïsme is spread out over one four centuries period until the end of the XVIe century, this period deserves perhaps more than very other to be called the Moyen-âge, because it is the true transition between the old methods and modernes" .

It is thought that Aristote in Europe that by Latin translations was not made known on the Arab translation of Averroès - what does not prevent it from being represented in statue on the gate of the Cathédrale of Chartres in XIIe century; the comments of Averroès enjoyed an authority almost equal to that of the Master. Its doctrines, fought by Holy Thomas, were condemned in 1240 by the Université of Paris, and in 1512 by the fifth Council of Lateran. Averroès always did not agree in its comments with Alexandre d' Aphrodisie, which divided all the school into two sects, that of the Averroïstes and that of the Alexandriste S.

Philosophy

The extraordinary one and vast culture of Averroès will enable him to give a very precise statute and role to the Philosophie, at the side of the Religion. Its extremely elaborate point of view and deeply aristotelician will constitute a masterpiece of coherence.

Philosopher, doctor, astronomer, it is also Cadi, i.e. man of law, judges. And it is on the legal ground that the cadi of Seville will carry the first offensive against the detractors of philosophy. The leader of the latter having lived one century earlier and at the other end of the Muslim world, it is with Al-Ghazali that ibn Rushd however will answer. The work of Al-Ghazali, the Tahafut Al-falasifa (inconsistency of the philosophers) are like a reference for Moslem mysticism and are precisely that of the ash' arites which prevail in Andalusia at the time of ibn Rushd.

With the Kitab fasl Al-maqal (delivers decisive speech), he answers in a completely new way a very old problem which one finds in the subtitle of the work: that of “connection between the Revelation and philosophy”. New experiment, the answer is placed on the legal ground, that of the science of the Moslem Law: Ibn Rushd anchors philosophy in social reality. It is a question of founding in right the existence of the philosopher in the Moslem city, which leads to this singular event in the history: philosophy is thus legitimated as well with the eyes of the law the company, as with those of the religious law.

Thus, ibn Rushd notes that the Coran is addressed to all the Moslems: as well of weak as of high culture. The universal character of the Revelation could not precisely be universal if he did not address himself to them according to their level of culture. There are the direction first, simple and picturesque for the common run of people and a more constant speech; it happens that a contradiction appears between these two types of statements and it is precisely there that must intervene philosophy: the philosopher, by the reasoning, must detect the deep sense, hidden Text.

Ibn Rushd will be able to give to philosophy, in a Fatwa, its “obligatory” character, like wants it the Moslem Law. Not to light the Text by a philosophical reflection would be to harm the Faith of the Faithful one.

In the Tahafut Al-Tahafut (inconsistency of the inconsistency), the work of Al-Ghazali is criticized point by point, the remarks are sanctioned by a fatwa which characterizes them like “blâmables”, and the philosophy of Aristote restored in its purer version. Averroès with always proposed the fact of comparing the world where he lived and the religion which he was to respect to be in agreement with the importance of Islam during his time.

Ibn Rushd is perhaps the philosopher who best seized this philosophy, and he is known besides, at his time and for the posterity, like the Large Commentator (i.e of the texts aristotelicians)

Theology

Its book Bidâyat ul-mudjtahid wa nihâyat ul-Muqtasid refers as regards compared jurisprudence. It there quotes and discusses the opinions of different the Madhhab S (schools) as regards Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).

Posterity

Its comments of the work of Aristote were translated into Latin towards 1230 and into Hebrew and had a major influence on the thinkers of the Moyen-âge as well in the Andalusia Moor as in all the Europe. Succeeding in reconciling philosophy aristotelician and the Moslem faith , it succeeded in becoming a large thinker of the Islamic world, and contributed to the diffusion of the cultures Greek and Arab in the western world.

The first Lycée private Moslem of metropolitan France, opened with Lille in September 2003 rehabilitates it while bearing its name, become symbol of open-minded to whole humanity, without cultural barriers nor prejudged Community.

The scenario writer Youssef Chahine puts in Averroès scene in his film the destiny in 1997.

As a philosophical figure, it inspired with Jorge Luis Borges, one of its news the search of Averroes of the collection El Aleph.

Publications

Old publications

One has of Averroès (see on gallica):
  • of the Comments on Aristote , published in Latin, Venice, 1595, folio;
  • a collection of writings on medicine, known under the title of Collyget , corruption of the Arab word meaning the delivers of all , Venice, 1482;
  • of the Comments on the guns of Avicenne , Venice, 1484;
  • the Inconsistency of the inconsistency of the philosophers of Al-Ghazali , etc

See too

Related articles

Biographical novel

  • the destiny , film of Youssef Chahine, puts in scene the life of Averroès.
  • the Brotherhood of Waked up the , novel of Jacques Attali ISBN 2213619018. In this very documented novel, Jaques Attali draws up a biographical novel, partial and crossed of Averroès and Maïmonide linked by Aristote and its heritage.

Random links:Latrape | San Cristóbal of mow Put | Coking plant of Drocourt | Adelin Husson | Pierre-Louis Hus-Desforges