Averroes

Latinization of name of Ibn Rushd (1126-1198) of Cordova, Arab philosopher and physician of Spain and Morocco. In attempting to purify the Arabic Aristotle of Neoplatonic influences, he greatly elevated Aristotle's importance and the reverence for his pagan doctrines to a degree that alarmed the orthodox devout among Christians and Muslims. His followers were particularly noted for their separation of philosophy from religion. Related: Averroist; Averoistic.

Averroes is more important in Christian than in Mohammedan philosophy. In the latter he was a dead end; in the former, a beginning. He was translated into Latin early in the thirteenth century by Michael Scott; as his works belong to the latter half of the twelfth century, this is surprising. His influence in Europe was very great, not only on the scholastics, but also on a large body of unprofessional free-thinkers, who denied immortality and were called Averroists. [Bertrand Russell, "A History of Western Philosophy"]