Ibn Bajjah (Avempace)
Andalusian philosopher, astronomer, and physician who developed a naturalistic philosophy and anticipated Galilean motion.
Who or what
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn al-Sa'igh ibn Bajjah (c. 1085–1138), known in the West as Avempace, was an Andalusian philosopher, astronomer, and physician.
He wrote on physics, psychology, and political philosophy, developing a naturalistic metaphysics that influenced later European thought.
Why it mattered
Ibn Bajjah was the first major Andalusian philosopher, establishing a tradition that continued with Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Rushd.
He anticipated Galileo by proposing that the same laws of motion apply to both terrestrial and celestial realms.
Key works and moments
His "Regimen of the Solitary" described the ideal philosopher who achieves intellectual perfection while living in an imperfect society.
He analyzed projectile motion, arguing that a medium's resistance, not "antiperistasis," slows projectiles.
Further detail
He argued that motion in a vacuum would continue indefinitely (anticipating Newton's first law).
His critique of Ptolemaic astronomy held that astronomy should describe physical reality, not just save the phenomena.
Legacy
His ideas on motion and the void influenced later European physics through Averroes' commentaries.
His concept of intellectual perfection resonated with later European rationalist philosophy.
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