Abu Walid Muhammad ibn Rusd, better known as Averroes in the Western world, was a Spanish-Arabic philosopher, thinker, doctor and jurist who is considered one of the most important philosophers both for the Muslim world and for Europe, since he translated hundreds of works by Aristotle and never ceased his studies and reflections.

Next we will give a brief review of Averroes’ biography, with the main events of his life and work.

Short biography of Averroes

Born in Cordoba when it was under Islamic rule (1126 – 1198), Averroes came from a family of intellectual jurists, whose specialty was consulting. His father, Abu Al Qasim Ahmad, was a cadi of Cordoba during the time of Al-Andalus, a period when the Muslims dominated Hispania during the Middle Ages for about 800 years.

The Thought of Averroes as a Philosopher

Following the family tradition, Averroes finished his studies in law, specialized and deepened in the interpretation of the laws , its reasons for being and its objectives. From a very young age he stood out in his approach to jurisprudence. He achieved his fame with his two great works: Starting point of the supreme jurist and The arrival of the average jurist .

This Muslim philosopher was known as “the commentator”, “the consultant” by the West, and his main achievements are the result of three works called The Comments of Aristotle , divided into three parts with the Major Commentary, the Middle Commentary and the Minor Commentary, being in this order from more to less in terms of analytical extension.

Science and religion, in convergence

Contrary to what one may imagine about how religion can influence the empirical field, Averroes wanted to make theology and philosophy converge . To begin with, instead of confronting the three monotheistic religions, he rather recognized the importance of all three.

For Averroes the sacred books of the Torah, the Bible and the Koran have the same background and objective, which is to give a logical explanation to the existence of life. On the other hand, knowing the controversy that exists when interpreting the writings, he came to assert that only specialist philosophers and thinkers should be authorized to decode the Koran.

Likewise, the Hispanic-Arabic philosopher related both types of knowledge by pointing out that they were indispensable to each other in order to understand the meaning of life. It justifies the divine existence (supreme God) to give order, coherence and stability to the world of the psyche ; that world of the human mind which is that of the senses and imagination, therefore not objective, according to Averroes.

Work and transcendence

In spite of all his influences at the philosophical-legal level, Averroes’ most outstanding and laureate work has to do with medicine. As a doctor, the author wrote Kulliyat , a scientific book that spoke of the generalities of medicine. Many criticized his contribution to science, but the same Koran advocates “seeking science from the cradle to the grave”.

The profession of doctor at that time was one of the most recognized achievements for a wise man . One had to pass a test of high intellectual difficulty under the knowledge of Hippocrates, as well as his oath. Moreover, what praises the figure of Averroes as a doctor, is that to practice as such, not only technical knowledge and skills were required. One had to demonstrate morality, ethics and a sense of justice.

“Al-Kulliyat”, Genesis of Modern Medicine

The book Al-Kulliyat, Generalities on Medicine , written in seven surprising volumes, was written from the idea that, as Averroes would say: “the visible can make the invisible appear”. In this way, Ibn Rusd once again surprised his contemporaries, avoiding preconceptions and intuitions in his scientific studies.

For Averroes medicine was an art , and the doctor the brush to carry it out. A specialty that aimed at the preservation of health and the cure of their diseases. Based on three fundamental pillars (principles, elements and their causes), the doctrine of Al-Kulliyat is presented as follows:

Volume 1. Anatomy

Knowledge of the parts of the human body, describing the parts that can be perceived

Volume 2. Physiology

It deals with the organic and mechanical functioning of the human body of each of its components. It describes what is known today as the “state of health”

Volume 3. Pathologies

Description and explanation of the causes of the diseases.

Volume 4. Semiotics

Study and analysis of symptoms and syndromes

Volume 5. Therapeutics

The technique of healing, providing dietary and natural drug recipes.

Volume 6. Hygiene

Recommendations and guidance on hygiene techniques for health maintenance.

Volume 7. Medication

Comprehensive description of the different medicines and solutions for all kinds of diseases.