The Analysis of Averroes’s Hermeneutical Method

Abstract

The problem of hermeneutic is an important component in Averroes’s thought and it is a key to resolve the contradiction between religion and philosophy, and to reject the claim that philosophers are pagan, as well as to understand religious texts and manuscripts. According to him, hermeneutic is to move from the exoteric meaning to esoteric one and to conceive internal target of the text. His hermeneutical method is based on the reconciliation procedure. He tries to reconcile reason and revealing, or religion and philosophy. Therefore, Averroes introduces certain rules for hermeneutic and asserts that as philosophers benefit of rational method, they have priority and allowance to hermeneutic, but they are not permitted to issue it.

Keywords

• Averroes
• philosophy
• hermeneutics
• religion
• reason