Rational Rationality and the Theory of Existence

Abstract

This study examines Averroes' rationalism through an analysis of his theory of being, highlighting its philosophical foundations and demonstrative method in explaining the nature of existence and the structure of the universe. It focuses on Averroes' position regarding major metaphysical issues that generated extensive debate between philosophers and theologians, including the eternity of the world, the doctrine of emanation, and the relationship between necessary and contingent existence, particularly in response to al-Ghazālī's criticisms in The Incoherence of the Philosophers. The paper further demonstrates how Averroes sought to reconcile rational demonstration with religious revelation by adopting an Aristotelian philosophical framework based on causality, order, and teleology. It also examines his interpretation of the cosmos through the distinction between the celestial and the sublunary worlds, revealing his comprehensive vision of the harmony governing natural existence. The study concludes that Averroes' rationalism represents a coherent philosophical project that reinforced demonstrative reasoning within Islamic philosophy and profoundly influenced medieval Latin thought and the European intellectual tradition