Abstract

The Argumentative Reason between Al-Ghazali and Averroes: A Critical Review of Mohammed Ait Hammou’s Study This paper provides a critical reading of Mohammed Ait Hammou’s book, The Argumentative Reason between Al-Ghazali and Averroes. The study explores the methodological complexities of "argumentative reason" (Al-Aql al-Hijjaji) versus "demonstrative reason" (Al-Burhan) within Islamic philosophy. It examines Al-Ghazali’s sophisticated critique of Aristotelian philosophy and his defense of interpretation (Ta’wil) as a tool for intellectual pluralism. Simultaneously, it scrutinizes Averroes’ project of reconciling religion and philosophy through his hierarchy of assent (demonstrative, dialectical, and rhetorical). The paper highlights Ait Hammou’s endeavor to deconstruct the "double writing" in Averroes’ corpus and the argumentative gaps in his critique of theologians (Mutakallimun). Ultimately, the review emphasizes the necessity of revisiting the Al-Ghazali-Averroes nexus beyond ideological biases, focusing on how both thinkers utilized interpretation to navigate the relationship between sacred texts and philosophical inquiry, thereby shaping the trajectory of rationalism in contemporary Arab thought.