Reading group: Ibn Rushd, The Decisive Treatise
The Faṣl al-Maqāl (c. 1178–80) is short and lucid. It's the best introduction to Ibn Rushd's thought, and it's written in the form of a legal opinion: what is the status, under the religious law, of studying philosophy?
His answer: the Law commands reflection on beings, through verses that call on people to consider and reflect. Since demonstration is the best kind of reflection, philosophy is obligatory for those capable of it.
He then distinguishes three classes of people by the kind of argument that convinces them: demonstrative, dialectical and rhetorical. Where demonstration conflicts with the apparent sense of scripture, the text should be interpreted allegorically (ta'wil), but these interpretations should not be broadcast to people who can't follow the demonstration.
Two weeks. The Butterworth translation is excellent. Question to start: is the three-class theory elitist, or just realistic about education?