New Books in Intellectual History Yehudah Halper, "Averroes on Pathways to Divine Knowledge" (Academic Studies Press, 2025)
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Nov 19, 2025 Yehuda Halper, a Professor of Jewish Philosophy at Bar-Ilan University and a visiting professor at the University of Chicago, delves into the mind of 12th-century philosopher Averroes. He discusses Averroes' unique approach to divine knowledge, grounded in Aristotelian thought rather than traditional theology. Halper reveals how Averroes categorized knowledge types and highlights the tension between rhetorical and demonstrative methods. The conversation also touches on Averroes' enduring influence on Jewish thought and the need for more translations of his works.
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Halper's Scholarly Path
- Yehuda Halper links his background in classics and math to his interest in Aristotelian reception.
- His path led from Greek philosophy to studying Averroes as the intermediary into Hebrew thought.
Averroes As The Medieval Aristotle
- Averroes functions as the key transmitter of Aristotelian thought into the medieval Jewish and Christian worlds.
- Medieval readers often meant Averroes when they cited 'Aristotle,' making him central to later Jewish philosophy.
Averroes' Political Rise And Fall
- Averroes initially sought to craft philosophical teachings that fit the rising Almohad regime.
- He later fell out of favor, was exiled, and saw his books burned while surviving through Jewish and Latin readership.
