Averroes Among the Paduan Physicians, 1540 to 1600

In the second half of the sixteenth century, professors of medicine at Padua almost uniformly regarded Averroes’ writing worthy of citation. Evaluations of Averroes as a medical authority hinged on perceptions of his connections to Aristotle, his antagonism toward Galen, the merits of his practical medicine, and the usefulness or danger of philosophy for medicine. Openness toward Averroes signaled a turn away from the anti-Arabic polemics that roiled medical humanism in the first decades of the sixteenth century and reveal a lack of concern about philosophical controversies surrounding his views about the human soul and the eternity of the world. The restored status of Arabic medical writings, expanded availability of Galenic texts, and innovations in medical pedagogy that promoted hands-on practical experience colored the reception of Averroes among professors of medicine at Padua.