Tuesday, August 12

Online Library of Liberty - The Philosophy and Theology of Averroes

Kannu

Perhaps you may want to file this away till you have some spare time and are interested in philosophy and law and religion. 

Ibn Rusd or Averroes as he was known in the west is one of humanities great Heros. An intellectual giant. Polymath. Jurist. Philosopher. Medicine. Arts. A man like Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo  Buonarroti. A true renaissance man. 

He argued against the stultifying and suffocating embrace of religion son. Wrote copiously. Amazing man and amazing philosophy. 

Classic example of how history repeats himself. He analysed the Greeks to fight the Muslim fundos. Then he was forgotten in Muslim lands but the Jews and Christians used his work to fight their fight in Europe. Early last century he was rediscovered by the Muslims and he is being used to fight against the spreading fundamentalism like salafism and Wahhabism. 

Fascinating. At a lecture in London about him, one of the speakers said that the Islamic societies in British universities are full of the most close minded Muslims ever. When you go there son, observe them closely. It's those close minds that ibn rusd fought against. 

Love

Baba 

Online Library of Liberty - The Philosophy and Theology of Averroes
http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=77&layout=html


Table of Contents

The Gaekwad Studies in Religion and Philosophy: XI.

THE PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY OF AVERROES

Printed by Manibhai Mathurbhai Gupta at the “Arya-Sudharak” Printing Press, Raopura, Baroda, and Published by A. G. Widgery, the College, Baroda 1-1-1921

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DEDICATION to Dr. AZIMUDDIN AHMAD

Sir,

It was at your feet that I first learned to appreciate historical and literary research, and the following pages constitute the earliest fruits of that literary labour of mine the impetus for which I am proud to have received from you. I crave your indulgence for my taking the liberty of dedicating the same to your revered name, with the hope that it will not fail to attract the same generous sympathy from you as you have always shown to your pupil.

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PREFACE

It was as a Fellow of the Seminar for the Comparative Study of Religions at the College, Baroda, that the present work was begun. The subject was taken up in the first place as a parallel study to that contained in a paper in the Indian Philosophical Review, Volume II, July 1918, pp. 24-32 entitled “Maimonides and the Attainment of Religious Truth.” But as I proceeded with my investigation I thought it might be best to let Averroes speak for himself. For this reason I have here translated certain treatises of Averroes, as edited in the Arabic text by D. H. Muller in “Philosophie und Theologie von Averroes.” Munich 1859. I am confident that the book will prove an interesting one and will explain itself to the reader without any introduction on my part.

Though owing to my appointment at Hyderabad I resigned my position at Baroda soon after commencing this work I wish here to express my thanks to Professor Alban G. Widgery of Baroda for his constant sympathy with and encouragement for my work in and out of the Seminar. He has also kindly accepted the book for inclusion in the Gaekwad Studies in Religion and Philosophy. I am indebted to him for a complete revision of the manuscript and for the onerous work of seeing the book through the press. I am also indebted to my brother Mutazid Wali ur Rehman, b.a. for valuable help in rendering many obscure passages.

Mohammad Jamil ur Rehman

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