Averroes: biography of the father of modern medicine

This philosopher and physician of Muslim Cordoba wanted to unite philosophy and religion through his books.

Abu Walid Muhammad ibn Rusd, better known in the Western world as Averroes in the Western world, was a Spanish-Arab philosopher, thinker, physician and jurist who is considered one of the most important philosophers both for the Muslim world and for Europe, since he translated hundreds of works of Aristotle and never ceased in his studies and reflections.

The following is a brief review of the biography of Averroes, with the main events of his life and work.

Short biography of Averroes

Born in Cordoba when it was under Islamic rule (1126 - 1198), Averroes came from a family of intellectual jurists, whose specialty was consulting. His father Abu Al Qasim Ahmad, was cadi of Cordoba at the time of Al-Andalus, a period when Muslims dominated Hispania during the Middle Ages for about 800 years.

Averroes' thought as a philosopher

Following the family tradition, Averroes completed his studies in law, specialized and deepened his knowledge of the interpretation of laws, their rationale and their objectives.his raison d'être and his objectives. From a very young age he stood out in his approach to jurisprudence. He achieved his fame with his two great works: Starting point of the supreme jurist y The Arrival of the Average Jurist.

This Muslim philosopher was known as "the commentator", "the consultant" or "the consultant" in the West. by the West, and it is his main achievements that result from three works called The Commentaries of Aristotledivided into three parts with the Major Commentary, the Middle Commentary and the Minor Commentary, being in this order from more to less in terms of analytical extension.

Science and religion, in convergence

Contrary to what may be imagined about how religion can influence the empirical realm, Averroes wanted to bring together theology, science and religion. wanted to bring theology and philosophy together.. To begin with, instead of confronting the three monotheistic religions, he recognized the importance of all three.

For Averroes, the sacred books of the Torah, the Bible and the Koran have the same background and objective, which is to give a logical explanation for the existence of life. On the other hand, knowing the controversy that exists in interpreting the writings, he went so far as to assert that only philosophers and thinkers should be authorized to decode the Koran.

Likewise, the Spanish-Arabic philosopher related both types of knowledge, pointing out that they were indispensable to each other in order to understand the meaning of life. He justifies the divine existence (supreme God) to give order, coherence and stability to the world of the psyche. in order to give order, coherence and stability to the world of the psycheThe world of the human mind that is that of the senses and the imagination, therefore not objective, according to Averroes.

Work and transcendence

In spite of all his influences at the philosophical-legal level, the most outstanding and laureate work of Averroes has to do with medicine. As a physician, the author wrote Kulliyata scientific book that discussed the generalities of medicine. Many criticized his contribution to science, but the Koran itself advocates "seeking science from the cradle to the grave".

The medical profession at that time was one of the most recognized achievements for a wise man.. One had to pass an examination of high intellectual difficulty under the knowledge of Hippocrates, as well as his oath. In addition, what extols the figure of Averroes as a physician, is that to practice as such, not only technical knowledge and skills were required. One had to demonstrate morality, ethics and a sense of justice.

"Al-Kulliyat", genesis of modern medicine.

The book Al-Kulliyat, Generalities on Medicinewritten in seven astonishing volumes, was written based on the idea that, as Averroes would say: "the visible can make us glimpse the invisible". In this way, Ibn Rusd once again surprised his contemporaries, avoiding preconceptions and intuitions in his scientific studies.

For Averroes, medicine was an art.and the doctor the brush to carry it out. A specialty that aimed at the preservation of health and the cure of its diseases. Based on three fundamental pillars (principles, elements and their causes), the doctrine of Al-Kulliyat is presented as follows:

Volume 1. Anatomy

Knowledge of the parts of the human body, describing the parts that can be perceived.

Volume 2. Physiology

It deals with the organic and mechanical functioning of the human body of each of the components that form it. It describes what is known today as the "state of health".

Volume 3. Pathologies

Description and explanation of the causes of diseases.

Volume 4. Semiotics

Study and analysis of symptoms and syndromes.

Volume 5. Therapeutics

The technique of healing, providing dietary recipes and natural drugs.

Volume 6. Hygiene

Recommendations and guide of hygienic techniques for health maintenance.

Volume 7. Medication

Exhaustive description of the different medications and solutions for all types of diseases.