Averroes' Physics, A Turning Point In Medieval Natural Philosophy R Glasner-2009
Author: Ruth Glasner.
The work provides a ground-breaking reappraisal of the Islamic philosopher Averroes (Ibn Rushd). It challenges the traditional view of him as merely a faithful, rigid commentator on Aristotle. Instead, Glasner reveals him to be an original and evolving physicist whose final theories reshaped medieval science.Core Thesis: "Aristotelian Atomism"Glasner argues that Averroes fundamentally changed his mind over time regarding the structure of matter and motion. After decades of revising his commentaries, he arrived at a bold new framework that Glasner terms "Aristotelian atomism":The Concept: Averroes suggested that physical bodies and continuous motions are ultimately bound by minimum physical parts (minima naturalia).Mathematical Separation: He limited true mathematical continuity to abstract geometry, treating physical reality as inherently discrete.Indeterminism: Glasner advances the theory that Averroes built this system to establish a sound scientific foundation for physical indeterminism.Key Methodologies & FindingsUnstudied Manuscripts: Glasner is the first scholar to analyze the complete evolutionary timeline of Averroes' physics. She relies heavily on forgotten Hebrew manuscripts containing drafts that do not survive in the original Arabic.Constant Revision: The book proves that Averroes heavily edited his Short, Middle, and Long commentaries. His Long Commentary on the Physics stands out as perhaps the most heavily revised text in his entire intellectual career.Shifting