11th Century

The 11th Century is invoked by Edmond Kirsch during his multimedia presentation at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao as a pivotal turning point in the history of science and religion. Kirsch uses this period to illustrate how religious orthodoxy can suppress intellectual progress, contrasting the earlier golden age of Islamic learning with its subsequent decline.

The Collapse of Islamic Science

In his presentation, Kirsch describes how by the end of the 11th Century, the greatest intellectual exploration on earth was taking place in and around Baghdad. However, he states that "almost overnight, that changed." The catalyst was the scholar Hamid al-Ghazali, whom Kirsch identifies as "one of the most influential Muslims in history." Al-Ghazali wrote persuasive texts questioning the logic of Plato and Aristotle and declared mathematics to be "the philosophy of the devil." This began a confluence of events that undermined scientific thinking. The study of theology was made compulsory, and eventually the entire Islamic scientific movement collapsed. Kirsch presents this as a cautionary example of how religious fervor can suppress scientific progress, a theme he extends to the Christian world's treatment of Copernicus, Galileo, and Bruno.

Narrative and Thematic Significance

The reference to the 11th Century serves Kirsch's broader argument that the age of religion is drawing to a close and the age of science is dawning. By pointing to a historical moment when religious dogma halted a flourishing scientific tradition, Kirsch frames his own discovery as a necessary corrective. The collapse of Islamic science in the 11th Century becomes a historical precedent for the danger he believes the world faces if it continues to prioritize faith over empirical evidence. This historical example is part of Kirsch's rhetorical strategy to position his own work as a continuation of the scientific progress that was interrupted centuries ago.