The impact of Averroes’ natural philosophy on the history of philosophy and science.
Ibn Rushd (1126–1198) or Averroes, is widely known as the unrivalled commentator on virtually all works by Aristotle. His commentaries and treatises were used as manuals for understanding Aristotelian philosophy until the Age of the Enlightenment. Both Averroes and the movement commonly known as ‘Latin Averroism’ have attracted considerable attention from historians of philosophy and science. Whereas most studies focus on Averroes’ psychology, particularly on his doctrine of the ‘unity of the intellect’, Averroes’ natural philosophy as a whole and its influence still remain largely unexplored. This volume aims to fill the gap by studying various aspects of Averroes’ natural philosophical thought, in order to evaluate its impact on the history of philosophy and science between the late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.
This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).
Contributors: Jean-Baptiste Brenet (Université de Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne), Cristina Cerami (cnrs, umr 7219: sphere/chspam), Silvia Donati (Albertus-Magnus-Institut, Bonn), Dag Nikolaus Hasse (Julius-Maximilians- Universität Würzburg), Craig Martin (Oakland University), Edith Dudley Sylla (North Carolina State University), Cecilia Trifogli (All Souls College, Oxford)
CONTENTS
Paul J.J.M Bakker Introduction
Cristina Cerami
L’éternel par soi
Jean-Baptiste Brenet Alexandre d’Aphrodise ou le matérialiste malgré lui
Dag Nikolaus Hasse Averroes’ Critique of Ptolemy and Its Reception by John of Jandun andAgostino Nifo
Silvia Donati Is Celestial Motion a Natural Motion?
Cecilia Trifogli The Reception of Averroes’ View on Motion in the Latin West
Edith Dudley Sylla Averroes and Fourteenth-Century Theories of Alteration
Craig Martin Providence and Seventeenth-Century Attacks on Averroes
Bibliography
Index Codicum Manu Scriptorum
Index Nominum
Considered as a whole, the articles in this volume provide us with a better and deeper understanding of the reception of Averroes' natural philosophy in the Latin West by means of examining topics which are usually not common in current academic discussion, either by choosing a new focal point or by the selection of authors commenting on Averroes. If anything is missing, then it would be an article explaining what is natural philosophy, since this tends to be identified with physics. However, by including psychology the reader can get the idea of the wide range of topics covered under the label "natural philosophy" in the Middle Ages.
Pilar Herráiz Oliva, The Medieval Review, 17-01-01
These are all very high-quality essays, each brimming with subtle insights into the way that themes and philosophical puzzles in Aristotle were framed in Averroes’s works through the lens of late antique commentary, and how the Latin scholastics then furthered the agenda through their own creative work as well as further comparisons with other eminent philosophers of the likes of Augustine and Avicenna.Taneli
Kukkonen, Journal of the History
of Philosophy, vol. 56 number 3 (July 2018)
Journal of the History of Philosophy
Het geheel van deze zeven bijdragen biedt ontegensprekelijk heel wat vernieuwende visies op een aantal natuurfilosofische inzichten van Averroës, met een bijzondere aandacht voor de receptie ervan in het Latijnse Westen. Het niveau van deze bundel steekt duidelijk boven het gemiddelde van gelijkaardige verzamelwerken uit. We hopen dan ook dat hij de aandacht zal krijgen die hij verdient.Jules Janssens, Tijdschrift voor Filosofie, 80/2018, doi: 10.2143/TVF.80.3.3285689
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Averroes’ Natural Philosophy and its Reception in the Latin West" about?
The impact of Averroes’ natural philosophy on the history of philosophy and science.
Ibn Rushd (1126–1198) or Averroes, is widely known as the unrivalled commentator on virtually all works by Aristotle. His commentaries and treatises were used as manuals for understanding Aristotelian philosophy until the Age of the Enlightenment. Both Averroes and the movement commonly known as ‘Latin Averroism’ have attracted considerable attention from historians of philosophy and science. Whereas most studies focus on Averroes’ psychology, particularly on his doctrine of the ‘unity of the intellect’, Averroes’ natural philosophy as a whole and its influence still remain largely unexplored. This volume aims to fill the gap by studying various aspects of Averroes’ natural philosophical thought, in order to evaluate its impact on the history of philosophy and science between the late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period.
This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).
Contributors: Jean-Baptiste Brenet (Université de Paris I – Panthéon-Sorbonne), Cristina Cerami (cnrs, umr 7219: sphere/chspam), Silvia Donati (Albertus-Magnus-Institut, Bonn), Dag Nikolaus Hasse (Julius-Maximilians- Universität Würzburg), Craig Martin (Oakland University), Edith Dudley Sylla (North Carolina State University), Cecilia Trifogli (All Souls College, Oxford)
Who edited "Averroes’ Natural Philosophy and its Reception in the Latin West"?
"Averroes’ Natural Philosophy and its Reception in the Latin West" was edited by Paul J.J.M. Bakker.
Paul J.J.M. Bakker is Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy at Radboud University Nijmegen.
Is "Averroes’ Natural Philosophy and its Reception in the Latin West" part of a series?
Yes, "Averroes’ Natural Philosophy and its Reception in the Latin West" is part of the "Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1" series. It's book 50 in the series.
Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1 presents state-of-the-art research on the history of Western thought from its origins to the beginnings of modernity.
In association with The De Wulf-Mansion Centre.

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About the Series
The series' focus lies primarily on the continuity and thematic transitions between ancient, medieval and renaissance thought, but also includes volumes on specific topics related to any of those periods. ‘Philosophy' is understood broadly to include metaphysics, ethics, natural philosophy, epistemology and philosophy of mind, and philosophical theology. Since the series is particularly devoted to making available Latin and Greek source texts, we welcome critical text editions as well as contributions that are based on philological scrutiny of those texts, without losing sight of their philosophical importance.
Ancient and Medieval Philosophy - Series 1 aims to publish at least two volumes a year and accepts monographs as well as thematically coherent edited volumes in English (without excluding the possibility of French, German, or Italian contributions to edited volumes). Manuscripts should be 80.000 to 120.000 words in length.
Readership
Researchers and graduate students in ancient, medieval and renaissance philosophy, in classics and in history.
Editorial Coordinator
Russell Friedman, KU Leuven, Belgium
Editorial Board
Pieter Beullens, KU Leuven, Belgium
Lisa Devriese, KU Leuven, Belgium
Pieter d'Hoine, KU Leuven, Belgium
Jan Opsomer, KU Leuven, Belgium
Jenny Pelletier, KU Leuven, Belgium
Andrea Robiglio, KU Leuven, Belgium
Carlos Steel, KU Leuven, Belgium
Gerd Van Riel, KU Leuven, Belgium
Advisory Board
Brad Inwood, Yale Universityo, USA
Jill Kraye, The Warburg Institute, London, United Kingdom
John Marenbon, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Lodi Nauta, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Timothy Noone (†) , The Catholic University of America, USA
Robert Pasnau, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA
Martin Pickavé, University of Toronto, Canada,
Pasquale Porro, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Geert Roskam, KU Leuven, Belgium
Proposals
Proposals and enquiries can be sent to editorial coordinator Russell L. Friedman. Please send a preliminary abstract (3-4 pp.) and a short bio. Upon approval of this abstract, the full manuscript will be submitted to international peer review.
Please make use of the submission form to present the full manuscript to our board.
Authors interested in Open Access can consult the available funding options.
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What is the Table of Contents for "Averroes’ Natural Philosophy and its Reception in the Latin West"?
CONTENTS
Paul J.J.M Bakker Introduction
Cristina Cerami
L'éternel par soi
Jean-Baptiste Brenet Alexandre d'Aphrodise ou le matérialiste malgré lui
Dag Nikolaus Hasse Averroes' Critique of Ptolemy and Its Reception by John of Jandun andAgostino Nifo
Silvia Donati Is Celestial Motion a Natural Motion?
Cecilia Trifogli The Reception of Averroes' View on Motion in the Latin West
Edith Dudley Sylla Averroes and Fourteenth-Century Theories of Alteration
Craig Martin Providence and Seventeenth-Century Attacks on Averroes
Bibliography
Index Codicum Manu Scriptorum
Index Nominum
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