Introduction
Philosophy and religion have often been viewed in opposition to one another, as religion rests on belief. In contrast, philosophy allows for comprehensive criticism of belief and the systems that support it. However, Averroes’s contribution, as expressed in the Decisive Treatise, is that religion and philosophy should be viewed in harmony with one another, as they share the same context (Belo, 2017, p. 280). His work received a lot of attention in modern scholarship because the defense of compatibility or even harmony between the two seemingly incompatible concepts is unique and prompts further dialogue.
Averroes’ Arguments
In Averroes’ view, philosophy is a tool that could be used to prove God’s existence. By understanding the reality that surrounds humans, as studied by philosophy, one can strengthen one’s knowledge of God (Belo, 2017, p. 281). The scholar used a method that drew on Islamic religious texts to show that revelation and reason can coexist harmoniously.
When defending philosophical inquiry, Averroes argued that the more complete the knowledge about how things came into existence, the complete the knowledge of the Deity that produced them (Campanini, 2017, p. 71). Thus, religious law encourages humans to reflect on what exists: “Reflect, O you who have eyes to see!” (Q. 59:2). The verse underscores the importance of intellectual reasoning, which can enhance one’s understanding of the world and draw one closer to God.
Another crucial quote is, “Haven’t they studied the realms of the heavens and earth and all the things created by God?” (Q. 7:185). While God is the highest creature ever to exist, He gave humans the honor of possessing science that allows them to speculate on things and beings that also exist in the world.
Further evidence supporting Averroes’ argument is that both the “Abrahamic prophetic tradition and the Hellenizing philosophic and scientific tradition” were concerned with addressing multidimensional life-orientational issues (Hodgson, 2009, p. 410). Besides, even the scientific and mathematical traditions of Cuneiform times played a defining role in forming broader religious visions (Hodgson, 2009, p. 410). The shift to the Greek language implied a transition to a new religious framework.
At the same time, Socrates and Plato were seen as religious figures on a par with Amos and the Isaiahs (Hodgson, 2009, p. 411). The links between science and religion are also evident in the way astronomy and geometry were seen as subordinate to the broader cosmic vision of Socratic traditions, embedded in both Hebrew historiography and the spiritual vision of adherents of the Abrahamic religion (Hodgson, 2009, p. 411). It was only with the advent of monotheism that religious traditions became increasingly intolerant of alternative life outlooks. From that point, philosophy could not appear to have an explicitly religious role, while religious institutions did not allow for collaboration with independent scientific traditions.
Conclusion
The opposition between science and religion persists to this day. However, Averroes’ perspective is highly valuable because the world is not black and white, and gaps in religious understanding can be closed through philosophical principles, and vice versa. Striving for balance rather than conflict is imperative for reaching consensus between science and religion, as the two frameworks can enrich and support one another.
References
Campanini, M. (Ed.). (2017). Averroes, the decisive treatise: The connection between Islamic religious law and philosophy. Gorgias Press.
Belo, C. (2017). Averroes (d. 1198), The decisive treatise. In K. El-Rouayheb & S. Schmidtke (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy (pp. 278-295). Oxford University Press.
Hodgson, M. (2009). The venture of Islam. (Vol. 1). University of Chicago Press.