Alex Joy
CORE 2101AP
2/10/2016
Dr. E. Redwine
Reconciliation of Greek Philosophy and Monotheistic Religions
“On July 19, 711, an army of Arabs and Berbers unified under the Islamic Umayyad caliphate landed on the Iberian Peninsula” (M 'Bow 2). Over the next several decades, through diplomacy and warfare, they brought the entire peninsula under Islamic control. The new territories, were referred to as al-Andalus. This region of southern Europe produced a wealth of great thinkers which would influence the development of the modern world. Two such thinkers were Maimonides and Ibn Rushd. Both Maimonides and Ibn Rushd sought to reconcile pagan Greek philosophy with the monotheistic religions of al-Andalus, Islam in Ibn Rushd’s case, Judaism in …show more content…
In this work of literature Ibn Rushd argues for the legality of philosophical investigation within Islam. In the first chapter he maintains that the study of philosophy is “obligatory” and that it is law. And that “This study must be conducted in the best manner, by demonstrative reasoning” (Rushd 114). Here Ibn Rushd concludes that the Law summons and urges us to study philosophy using the most perfect kind of reasoning, demonstrative reasoning. And to understand demonstrative reasoning one must make a preliminary study of logic…and logic must be learned from the ancient masters, regardless of the fact that they were Muslim or not”(Rushd 114). In this quote Maimonides is trying to allude to Aristotle and other Greek …show more content…
In this work of literature he wants to address the difficulty of interpreting certain biblical statements, especially about God, when their literal meaning appears absurd. “For instance when the Bible speaks of the ‘finger of God,’ are we to believe that God really has fingers? Or when the bible says that man and women are created in the ‘image and likeness of God,’ are we to think that we look like God in some physical sense” (Maimonides 120). Maimonides believed such views were irresponsible and that God is not to be thought in physical terms. God he argues is incorporeal, which means without bodily form. Hence he starts off the “Guide to the Perplexed” with a rigorous analysis of the descriptions of God in the Hebrew bible, showing how verses are to be taken allegorically especially when they refer to God’s hand, eye, and throne. “Maimonides concluded that where a religious doctrine is incompatible with logic, it should not be taken at its face value” (Hartman 8). The goal of this piece of literature was to bring together religion and philosophy in such a way as to show that Judaism was compatible with
CORE 2101AP
2/10/2016
Dr. E. Redwine
Reconciliation of Greek Philosophy and Monotheistic Religions
“On July 19, 711, an army of Arabs and Berbers unified under the Islamic Umayyad caliphate landed on the Iberian Peninsula” (M 'Bow 2). Over the next several decades, through diplomacy and warfare, they brought the entire peninsula under Islamic control. The new territories, were referred to as al-Andalus. This region of southern Europe produced a wealth of great thinkers which would influence the development of the modern world. Two such thinkers were Maimonides and Ibn Rushd. Both Maimonides and Ibn Rushd sought to reconcile pagan Greek philosophy with the monotheistic religions of al-Andalus, Islam in Ibn Rushd’s case, Judaism in …show more content…
In this work of literature Ibn Rushd argues for the legality of philosophical investigation within Islam. In the first chapter he maintains that the study of philosophy is “obligatory” and that it is law. And that “This study must be conducted in the best manner, by demonstrative reasoning” (Rushd 114). Here Ibn Rushd concludes that the Law summons and urges us to study philosophy using the most perfect kind of reasoning, demonstrative reasoning. And to understand demonstrative reasoning one must make a preliminary study of logic…and logic must be learned from the ancient masters, regardless of the fact that they were Muslim or not”(Rushd 114). In this quote Maimonides is trying to allude to Aristotle and other Greek …show more content…
In this work of literature he wants to address the difficulty of interpreting certain biblical statements, especially about God, when their literal meaning appears absurd. “For instance when the Bible speaks of the ‘finger of God,’ are we to believe that God really has fingers? Or when the bible says that man and women are created in the ‘image and likeness of God,’ are we to think that we look like God in some physical sense” (Maimonides 120). Maimonides believed such views were irresponsible and that God is not to be thought in physical terms. God he argues is incorporeal, which means without bodily form. Hence he starts off the “Guide to the Perplexed” with a rigorous analysis of the descriptions of God in the Hebrew bible, showing how verses are to be taken allegorically especially when they refer to God’s hand, eye, and throne. “Maimonides concluded that where a religious doctrine is incompatible with logic, it should not be taken at its face value” (Hartman 8). The goal of this piece of literature was to bring together religion and philosophy in such a way as to show that Judaism was compatible with