The Incoherence of the Incoherence
Averroes responds point by point to al-Ghazali’s criticisms of philosophers. The debate concerns causation, divine knowledge and the eternity of the world without reducing opponents to caricatures.
Understanding the text
Composed around 1180, the polemical dialogue answers The Incoherence of the Philosophers and follows its earlier objections.
Key points
- 01
Causation
Discussing a cause requires specifying what belongs to nature and to God.
- 02
World
Its eternity requires distinguishing temporal beginning from dependence.
- 03
Controversy
Averroes defends philosophical arguments while acknowledging difficult premises.
Explore the ideas in depth
Reading a controversy
Averroes responds point by point to al-Ghazali’s criticisms of philosophers. The debate concerns causation, divine knowledge and the eternity of the world without reducing opponents to caricatures.
Causation
Discussing a cause requires specifying what belongs to nature and to God. Composed around 1180, the polemical dialogue answers The Incoherence of the Philosophers and follows its earlier objections.
World
Its eternity requires distinguishing temporal beginning from dependence. Read each reply alongside al-Ghazali’s corresponding objection and identify the precise disagreement.
Controversy
Averroes defends philosophical arguments while acknowledging difficult premises. Composed around 1180, the polemical dialogue answers The Incoherence of the Philosophers and follows its earlier objections.
Questions to carry into your reading
- What argument supports your interpretation?
- How does the text’s transmission change your reading?
Read each reply alongside al-Ghazali’s corresponding objection and identify the precise disagreement.
How to read it
Read each reply alongside al-Ghazali’s corresponding objection and identify the precise disagreement.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗