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Averroes And Hegel on PHilosoPHy And religion Comparing Averroes’ and Hegel’s positions on the relation between philosophy and religion, this book explores the theme of the authorities of faith and reason, and the origin of truth, in a medieval islamic and a modern Christian context respectively. Through an in-depth analysis of Averroes’ and Hegel’s parallel views on the nature of philosophical and religious discourse, Belo presents new insights into their perspectives on the relation between philosophical knowledge and religious knowledge, and the differences between philosophy and religion. in addition, Belo explores particular works which have not yet been studied by modern scholarship. AsHgATe neW CriTiCAl THinKing in religion, THeology And BiBliCAl sTUdies The Ashgate New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies series brings high quality research monograph publishing back into focus for authors, international libraries, and student, academic and research readers. Headed by an international editorial advisory board of acclaimed scholars spanning the breadth of religious studies, theology and biblical studies, this open- ended monograph series presents cutting-edge research from both established and new authors in the field. With specialist focus yet clear contextual presentation of contemporary research, books in the series take research into important new directions and open the field to new critical debate within the discipline, in areas of related study, and in key areas for contemporary society. Other Recently Published Titles in the Series: Cassian’s Conferences Scriptural Interpretation and the Monastic Ideal Christopher J. 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Friesenhahn Averroes and Hegel on Philosophy and religion CATArinA Belo The American University in Cairo, Egypt First published 2013 by Ashgate Publishing Published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © Catarina Belo 2013 Catarina Belo has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Belo, Catarina C. M. de M. (Catarina Carriço Marques de Moura), 1974– Averroes and Hegel -on Philosophy and Religion / by Catarina Belo. pages cm Includes index. ISBN 978-1-4094-3386-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Philosophy and religion. 2. Averroes, 1126–1198. 3. Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich, 1770–1831. I. Title. BL51.B5135 2013 201’.61–dc23 2013004620 ISBN 9781409433866 (hbk) ISBN 9781315568515 (ebk) Contents Acknowledgements vii Introduction: Philosophy and Religion in Hegel and Averroes 1 1 The Decisive Treatise: A Project for the Harmony between Philosophy and Religion 21 2 Demonstrative Discourse in Averroes’ Commentaries on Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics 49 3 Dialectical and Rhetorical Discourse in Averroes’ Commentaries on Aristotle’s Topics and Rhetoric 75 4 Hegel’s Attitude to Religion in the Early Writings 109 5 Hegel: Religion, Philosophy and Consciousness in the Phenomenology of Spirit 125 6 Representation and Christianity in the Berlin Lectures 149 Conclusion 189 Bibliography 195 Index 213 This page has been left blank intentionally Acknowledgements This book could not have been completed without the generous help of many friends and colleagues. I first came across the idea for this book while reading an article – mentioned in the introduction – by Josep Ignasi Saranyana, who subsequently furnished further materials and advice for this project. Moreover, in the course of researching for and writing this book, I received much advice and materials from Averroes experts, namely Maroun Aouad, Charles Butterworth, Rafael Ramón Guerrero, and Richard Taylor. I also received much support and assistance from Hegel scholars, namely William Desmond, Manuel José do Carmo Ferreira, Stephen Houlgate, Vincenzo Lomuscio, and Walter Jaeschke. Colleagues from the American University in Cairo and other friends also provided advice and relevant materials: Abraham Anderson, Alexandre Caeiro, Richard Fincham, Eric Goodfield, William Melaney, Gavin Rae, and Alessandro Topa. My home institution, The American University in Cairo, kindly supported this project financially with various grants. Last but not least, I am grateful to Johanna Baboukis and Laura Macy for the careful and attentive proof-reading of the text. This page has been left blank intentionally Introduction Philosophy and Religion in Hegel and Averroes In an article concerning the theological position of Averroes (Arabic Ibn Rushd, 1126–1198 CE), Spanish scholar J.I. Saranyana traces the history of scholarship on Averroes to the present with a focus on a particular issue: the Andalusian philosopher’s true position with regard to religion.1 Much ink has been spilt on this controversial issue since the Middle Ages, when Averroism was often perceived as conflicting with religion in general and in particular with Christianity. To Averroes was ascribed the theory of the ‘double truth’, according to which there is a religious truth and a philosophical truth which are often at variance, with the hidden assumption that philosophical truth is preferable to religious truth. Among the first modern interpreters of Averroes, Saranyana mentions Ernest Renan. On Saranyana’s interpretation, Renan imputes to Averroes views similar to those held by the German idealist philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831). According to Saranyana, Hegel defended the idea that philosophy and religion have the same content, but express themselves in different ways: religion through imagination and representation, and philosophy in a conceptual and intellectual, hence more rigorous, way. Saranyana considers that this view favours philosophy over religion, inasmuch as the philosophical message is perceived to contain and qualitatively to supersede the religious message. The present study aims to examine the relationship between philosophy and religion, based on the similarities and differences between philosophical language or discourse and religious language, first in Averroes and then in Hegel, with a view to shedding light on the relation between philosophy and religion, a theme that preoccupied both philosophers throughout their lifetimes. This study offers a thematic rather than a strictly historical comparison, given that Hegel does not seem to have been directly influenced by Averroes and 1 Josep Ignasi Saranyana, ‘Los presupuestos teológicos de Averroes’, in Averroes y los Averroismos: Actas del III Congreso Nacional de Filosofia Medieval (Zaragoza: Sociedad de Filosofía Medieval, 1999), pp. 129–44, especially pp. 134–5. A connection between Islamic philosophy and Hegel on this issue, as Saranyana points out, is also made by Rafael Ramón Guerrero, ‘La filosofia árabe medieval’, in Actas del I Congreso Nacional de Filosofía Medieval, ed. Jorge Ayala Martínez (Zaragoza: Sociedad de Filosofía Medieval-Ibercaja, 1992), pp. 129–57, in particular pp. 147 and 152, focusing particularly on al-Kindi and Alfarabi.