The Issue of Reconciling Religion and Philosophy in the Thought of Saint Albert the Great

The issue of reconciling religion and philosophy is one of the important issues that has preoccupied thinkers and philosophers, both ancient and modern. Although this issue is more closely associated with medieval philosophy than with other philosophies, reconciling religion and philosophy is closely linked to the existence of religion. Whenever religion exists, there is a need to reconcile it with philosophy. Hence, the famous saying that expresses the relationship between religion and philosophy emerged: "Philosophy is the daughter of religion and the mother of sciences." The relationship between religion and philosophy was a central theme among medieval philosophers (Muslims and others). Since Christian philosophy was closely linked to Islamic philosophy, this syncretic tendency was passed on to medieval Christian philosophers, most notably Saint Albert the Great, the man who established the Christian Aristotelian approach and contributed to the emergence of an important figure who represents the essence of Christian philosophy: Saint Thomas Aquinas. Indeed, Saint Albert the Great was able to establish natural science in the Middle Ages, and he had numerous ideas that contributed to the modern scientific renaissance. Another syncretic tendency emerged in Saint Albert the Great, namely his attempt to reconcile Aristotle and Plato. Saint Albert's syncretic philosophy manifested itself in several aspects, including his discussion of the issue of divinity, the eternity and origin of the world, the issue of the human soul, and others