Which Muslim philosopher's commentaries on Aristotle influenced European scholasticism?

• A. Al-Farabi
• B. Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
• C. Ibn Rushd (Averroes)
• D. Ibn al-Kindi

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how Aristotle’s ideas traveled from the Islamic world to medieval Europe through a key commentator. Averroes, also known as Ibn Rushd, produced a monumental set of commentaries on Aristotle that organized and clarified Aristotle’s logic, natural philosophy, and metaphysics in a way that Western scholars could study. These commentaries were translated into Latin in the 12th century and circulated widely in universities, becoming a primary channel for Aristotle’s influence on scholasticism. European thinkers, most notably Thomas Aquinas, engaged deeply with Averroan interpretations, using them to shape and test their own arguments, even while offering critiques. Other Islamic philosophers—Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, and Ibn al-Kindi—contributed richly to philosophy, but Averroes is the figure most closely associated with shaping European scholasticism specifically through direct Aristotle commentaries.