Thursday 26 October 2017

Social Sciences. Unit 5. Spain in the Middle Ages. The Muslims in al-Andalus. Averroës.



AVERROËS

Statue of Averroës in Córdoba (Spain)
Averroës is one of the major Islamic scholars of the Middle Ages. He was a Spanish-Arab philosopher and physician.   

He wrote commentaries on the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle. These works contributed to the development of both Jewish and Christian thought in the following centuries.



Averroës was born in Córdoba, Spain, in 1126. He was educated in Muslim science, medicine, philosophy and law. He became chief judge at Córdoba and personal physician to the city rulers.



Between 1169 and 1195 Averroës wrote a series of commentaries on most of Aristotle's works and on Plato's Republic. His penetrating mind enabled him to present the thought of these philosophers and to add considerably to its understanding. His writing influenced Christian thought in the Middle Ages.



Detalle del fresco de Andrea de Bonaiuto El triunfo de Santo Tomás, con la imagen de Averroes sentado.


Averroës wrote several original works. His first book, General Medicine, was written from 1162 to 1169. Three religious-philosophical treatises written in 1179 to 1180 have survived, but most of his legal works and all his theological books have been lost. He died at Marrakesh in North Africa in 1198.

Information taken from Britannica Kids and Wikipedia.

Read the text and answer these questions:

  • When and where was he born?
  • What subjects did he write about?
  • Why was he important?
  • When did he die?

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