The end of the middle ages
The end of the middle ages was triggered by the rediscovery of lost roman and Greek manuscripts by humanists such as Petrarch forcing people to reevaluate the church’s position and indulge in critical thinking about doctrine. This historical narrative is wrong for the Greek texts were not rediscovered. Significant Greek scientists and philosophers gained a way to the west mainly because they were translated from Arabic during the translation movement that was an initiative of the caliphs of Baghdad. Both Christian and Islamic philosophers faced the challenge of reconciling theology and sacred texts with philosophy. Saint Augustine banned critical thinking in Europe when he halted the debate in favor of theology. Averroes, a Muslim philosopher, came to be known in Europe as the commentator as he commented on the works of Aristotle, and it was through the translation of his comments into Latin that Aristotle was introduced in Europe, causing an intellectual earthquake. Averroes argued that the truth could be reached through belief and philosophy and that contradictions between the two meant that people should read the sacred texts in a fictional way. He also argued against the soul’s immortality and creation of the universe.
Averroes’ theories were adopted and taught in the first European universities, which caused panic within the church. Bishop of Paris condemned Averroes’ ideas. Thomas Aquinas, through his works, asserted the position of theology above philosophy. However, Averroes’ free-thinking attitude and ideas still spread throughout Europe. Christian thinkers such as Descartes wrote in defense of the immortality of the soul and denounced Averroes, but through the Jewish thinker Maimonides, Averroes’ ideas reentered Europe. Maimonides adopted Averroes philosophies and wrote books that were considered standard works in the Jewish world. Thomas Aquinas later studied the works of Avicenna, Averroes, and Maimonides, which led him to rethink the issue of the eternity of the world and its implications on faith and philosophy. He later acknowledged that the Arab philosophers were correct and addressed the issue in his works. Thomas proposed a truce between reason and conviction, but along with this accomplishment is the fact that Averroes was not acknowledged for the role that he played.
Throughout centuries, students in schools have been taught that enlightenment, humanism, and renaissance were purely the accomplishment of Europeans. I have been taught before that Islam distorts God’s word, but clearly, that is not the case. Various religious classes that I have taken have had discussions on the coexistence of science and faith concerning European philosophers. This is much what we do today in our studies. We borrow ideas from other people, modify them, and pass them to the world without acknowledging those who came up with those concepts. Lyon has helped me recognize the fact that Averroes’ thoughts inspired the new interest in script interpretation and Jewish religion. He is an example of how beliefs are active and evolving traditions shaped by philosophical sways from other cultures. I think that it is a violation of history that the role of Arabs in the history of rational thought is denied. How can we consider Europe to be credible when it blames others for falsifying history, yet that is precisely what they have done? It is time that the historical truth is restored to its rightful place.