A Survey of the Thoughts of Albert the Great

Albert is the first thinker who presented the doctrines of Aristotelians to the West in the Middle Ages. Getting familiar with Aristotelian philosophy via Muslim commentators and writing commentaries on Aristotle̛ s books, he sought to present a complete educational body comprising every branch of science and knowledge to the Romans. Combination of philosophy and religious teachings was officially forbidden at that time by the church. However, it found recognition in Catholic theology by Albert and his student, Aquinas. The role and position of Aquinas should be taken into consideration in training a student like Aquinas who is considered the greatest philosopher and theologian in the Christian era. The present article seeks to elaborate the intellectual methodology of Albert and the extent of his being influenced by Muslim philosophers particularly IbnSina and IbnRushd.