Averroes on Intellect provides a detailed analysis of the Muslim philosopher Averroes (Ibn Rushd)'s notorious unicity thesis -- the view that there is only one separate and eternal intellect for all human beings. It focuses directly on Averroes' arguments, both from the text of Aristotle's De Anima and, more importantly, his own philosophical arguments in the Long Commentary on the De Anima. Stephen Ogden defends Averroes' interpretation of De Anima using a combination of Greek, Arabic, Latin, and contemporary sources. Yet, Ogden also insists that Averroes is not merely a 'commentator' but an incisive philosopher in his own right. The author thus reconstructs and analyzes Averroes' two most significant independent philosophical arguments, the Determinate Particular Argument and the Unity Argument. Alternative ancient and medieval views are also considered throughout, especially from two important foils before and after Averroes, namely, Avicenna (Ibn Sina) and Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas' most famous and penetrating arguments against the unicity thesis are also addressed. Finally, Ogden considers Averroes' own objections to broader metaphysical views of the soul like Avicenna's and Aquinas', which agree with him on several key points including the immateriality of the intellect and the individuation of human souls by matter, while still diverging on the number and substantial nature of the intellect. The central goal of this book is to provide readers with a single study of Averroes' most pivotal arguments on intellect, consolidating and building on recent scholarship and offering a comprehensive case for his unicity thesis in the wider context of Aristotelian epistemology and metaphysics.

About the Author
Stephen Ogden is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He earned his B.A. at Rhodes College, his M.A.R. at Yale Divinity School, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religious Studies at Yale University in 2015. He has published on Islamic philosophy (especially Averroes and Avicenna) and medieval philosophy in venues such as Philosophers' Imprint, Archiv fur Geschichte der Philosophie, and Oxford Studies in Medieval Philosophy.

Reviews
Anyone interested in Averroes and in the transmission and transformation of the Aristotelian noetics in the Middle Ages should read Ogden's book. * Elisa Coda, Studia graeco-arabica 2023 *
Ogden masters the details of the multiple discussions and challenges interpretations with his own views. The analytically inclined reader will enjoy his work and appreciate how medieval philosophy is made accessible to present-day readers. And all readers will be grateful for his exposition of how Averroes and Aquinas faced these enduring issues. * Josep Puig Montada, Speculum 99/2 *
Ogden's excellently researched study makes a valuable contribution to the discipline of philosophy as it is pursued within the academy today. * Katja Krause, The Thomist *
Ogden's excellently researched study makes a valuable contribution to the discipline of philosophy as it is pursued within the academy today. * Katja Krause, The Thomist *


Awards
Winner of Winner, 2023 Journal of the History of Philosophy Book Prize.



Book Information
ISBN 9780192896117
Author Stephen R. Ogden
Format Hardback
Page Count 296
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 600g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 164mm * 21mm