194 PHYSICAL SCIENCE IN THE MIDDLE AGES. 



to this skepticism. But an incredulity or contempt towards the 

 asserted truths of physical science may arise also from the attention 

 being mainly directed to the certainty and importance of religious 

 truths. A veneration for revealed religion may thus assume the aspect 

 of a skepticism with regard to natural knowledge. Such appears to 

 be the case with Algazel or Algezeli, who is adduced by Degerando^ 

 as an example of an Arabian skeptic. He was a celebrated teacher at 

 Bagdad in the eleventh century, and he declared himself the enemy, 

 not only of the mixed Peripatetic and Platonic philosophy of the time, 

 but of Aristotle himself. His work entitled The Destructions of the 

 Philosophers, is known to us by the refutation of it which Averrhoes 

 published, under the title of Destruction of AlgazeVs Destructions of 

 the Philoso])hers. It appears that he contested the fundamental prin- 

 ciples both of the Platonic and of the Aristotelian schools, and denied 

 the possibility of a known connection between cause and effect ; thus 

 making a prelude, says Degerando, to the celebrated argumentation of 

 Hume. 



[2d Ed.] Since the publication of my first edition, an account of 

 Algazel or Algazzali and his works has been published under the title 

 of Essai sur les Ecoles Philosophiques chez les Arabes, et notamment 

 sur la Doctrine cV Algazzali, par August Schmolders. Paris. 1842. 

 From this book it appears that Degerando's account of Algazzali is 

 correct, when he says 5 that " his skepticism seems to have essentially 

 for its object to destroy all systems of merely rational theology, in 

 order to open an indefinite career, not only to faith guided by revela- 

 tion, but also to the free exaltation of a mystical enthusiasm." It is 

 remarked by Dr. Schmolders, following M. de Hammer-Purgstall, that 

 the title of the work referred to in the text ought rather to be Mutual 

 Refutation of the Philosophers : and that its object is to show that 

 Philosophy consists of a mass of systems, each of which overturns the 

 others. The work of Algazzali which Dr. Schmolders has published, 

 On the Errors of Sects, &c, contains a kind of autobiographical ac- 

 count of the way in which the author was led to his views. He does 

 not reject the truths of science, but he condemns the mental habits 

 which are caused by laying too much stress upon science. Religious 

 men, he says, are, by such a course, led to reject all science, even what 

 relates to eclipses of the moon and sun ; and men of science are led 

 to hate religion. 5 



4 Degerando, Hist. Cornp. de Systenus, iv. 224. 



» Hust. Cornp. iv. p. 227. 6 Essai, p. 33. 



